Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018
121. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passport applications from non-Irish residents processed in County Cork since January 2018 date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra122. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passports for residents here that are being processed in the Cork passport office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22280/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together.
The Passport Service located in my Department is one unified service composed of 3 constituent offices located in in Mount Street, Dublin; Balbriggan, Co. Dublin and South Mall, Cork. My Department continuously monitors the level of passport demand to ensure that all resources are effectively deployed. Occasionally work is redistributed between these 3 offices, on the basis of demand and availability of resources.
Under the current distribution of tasks across the Passport Service, the Cork office processes applications from Northern Ireland and Great Britain, as well as applications submitted through Ireland’s network of embassies and consulates worldwide. All Passport Express applications are processed in the Balbriggan office and online passport renewal applications are processed in the Mount Street office.
From January 1 to April 30 this year, the Cork passport office processed 35,074 applications from Northern Ireland Passport Express, 19,924 applications from the London passport office and 12,147 applications from Ireland’s network of Embassies and Consulates outside the UK and Ireland.
The Mount Street and Cork offices also accept applications from all categories of applicant, by appointment, at the public counter and, where appropriate, facilitate the issuance of emergency passports.
From January 1 to April 30 this year, the Cork passport office processed 4,535 applications that were submitted through its counter service.
