David Cullinane
Ceist:343. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated full year cost of purchasing three extra passport printing machines [16794/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 21 July 2020
Ceisteanna (343)
Freagraí scríofa
The Passport Service of my Department is one unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street and Balbriggan in Dublin and South Mall in Cork. It operates three passport printing machines, two of which are located in the main production facility in Balbriggan and the third in the Passport Office in Lower Mount Street, Dublin.
Passport applications from citizens residing in Ireland or elsewhere in the world are distributed for processing across the three Passport Offices. All passport applications are processed through the centralised automated passport service system. All production facilities can print a passport, irrespective of the channel through which the application is processed. The printing system allows for flexibility between printing machines if any one machine has reached capacity. Each passport printer has a printing capacity of 250 passports per hour.
The purchase cost of three new passport printing machines is in excess of €5.1 million, excluding the cost of security, maintenance, technical fit-out, staffing or rental costs.
I am satisfied that the printing capacity of production equipment currently employed by the Passport Service is sufficient to meet the current and anticipated future demand for passports.