Chris Andrews
Ceist:119. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the embargo on processing first-time passports will be lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4575/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 28 January 2021
Ceisteanna (119)
Freagraí scríofa
The Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Passport Service staff have been temporarily reassigned to provide consular assistance for Irish citizens overseas.
The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because the applicant requires emergency medical treatment. An urgent service is available to Irish citizens who are resident overseas through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or to travel for urgent reasons, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
First time passport applications cannot be expedited as the necessary security and identity checks do not allow for expediting of such applications.
The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. When operations resume at Level 4, all applications received via Passport Online will be processed.
The Passport Service has a great deal of experience in dealing with peaks in demand, and we are confident that any backlog will be cleared quickly. When the Passport Service resumed operations in June 2020, the backlog was cleared in four weeks. It was similar in December 2020 with the majority of the backlog cleared within three weeks.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express, Northern Ireland Passport Express and applications for Foreign Birth Registrations at Level 3 of the National Framework.