Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2018
93. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff employed in the passport offices and in the passport online service; the cost of running the passport service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14718/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff permanently employed by my Department and assigned to the Passport Service stood at 322 at the beginning of the year. This compares to 310 FTE staff assigned to the Passport Service at the same point last year. This year, since these figures were released, over 20 additional permanent staff have started with the Passport Service. In addition to this, in order to respond to seasonal demands and application increases, the Passport Service received sanction for 220 Temporary Clerical Officers (“TCOs”) for appointment to the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork this year. All sections in the Passport Service are monitored closely to ensure they are sufficiently resourced to meet demand. The number of Passport Service staff working on the online passport application service varies depending on the volume of applications in the system. The Deputy should be aware however, that in addition to the team processing these applications, staff assigned to other duties, such as those in the Communications Unit, deal with queries arising in connection with all passport applications, including queries from online passport applicants. The cost of running the Passport Service in 2017 was €33.7 million. This figure excludes accommodation costs as any properties occupied by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the State are rented and maintained by the Office of Public Works. The figure includes the Passport Reform Programme which is delivering major upgrades to the passport service technology platforms and business processes as well as significant customer service improvements.
