Passport printing and personalisation requires highly specialised machinery, auxiliary equipment and a temperature-controlled environment. The production equipment and suites need continual engineering support and trained staff to manage the sites. The purchase cost of a new passport printing machine alone is in excess of €1.5m.
The printing capacity of production equipment currently employed by the Passport Service is sufficient to meet current and anticipated future demand for passports. There are no plans at this time to commission additional passport production equipment or sites.
While the rapid renewal service is not available through the Passport Office in Cork every effort is made by the Passport Service to meet a travel date in cases of genuine urgency.