Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
366. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a schedule of the time backlog on all accepted first-time passport applications made in Ireland; and the additional resources he has and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6181/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra367. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a schedule of the time backlog on all accepted passport renewal applications made in Ireland by post; and the additional resources he has and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6182/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together.
The tables below outline the numbers of first time and renewal applications on hand with the Passport Service. Table 1 details the number of complete and incomplete online and postal first time applications that are with the Passport Service. Table 2 details the number of postal or Passport Express renewal applications. Both tables outline how many applications are complete and being processed by the Passport Service and how many are incomplete and require additional action by the applicant. This may include the submission of witnessed child identity and consent forms or documents such as birth certificates. These applications cannot be processed by the Passport Service until the required documents are received.
While there is a very high volume of applications in the system, this does not represent a backlog. In January the Passport Service received over 137,000 applications. Figures show that there are currently 76,000 (53%) applications that are fully complete and are being processed by the Passport Service. There are also 67,000 applications (47%) in the system which the Passport Service is waiting for the customer to complete the application.
The current passport processing times are:
- 10 working days for Simple Adult online renewals
- 15 working days for Complex or child online renewals
- 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online
- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service
The Passport Service is facing its busiest year to date with an estimated 1.7 million passport applications expected. This volume of passport applications represents a significant increase from the previous high number of applications in 2019 when 935,000 passports were issued. My Department has been pro-actively planning to ensure the necessary resources are in place to meet this level of demand and is making an unprecedented investment in the Passport Service in terms of additional staff and improvements to the passport processing and customer service systems.
My Department is working with the Public Appointments Service on a major recruitment drive that has been underway for several months. Since June of 2021, over 300 members of staff at all grades have been assigned to the Passport Service. Additional staff are being assigned on a weekly basis with a goal of reaching staff numbers of 900 by the end of March. This represents a doubling of staff numbers over the course of 9 months.
The Passport Service is implementing a number of further measures that will positively impact the current turnaround times and improve customer service:
- Intensive training of new staff and upskilling of existing staff is underway to increase the resources that can process complex applications.
- The Passport Service is actively prioritising first time applications and directing increased resources to processing these complex applications with a view to reducing the current turnaround time.
- A new document management process is being put in place that allows for a much quicker turnaround time when an applicant is asked to submit additional documents. Once these documents are received, they will be prioritised and complete applications will be processed in 3 weeks. This will greatly reduce the waiting time for applicants who are missing documents in their initial application.
In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system. Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.
We are confident that the measures that have been implemented will help to reduce passport turnaround times in the course of 2022, particularly for first time applications, and will assist the Passport Service in meeting the high demand forecast for this year.
Table 1 - Domestic first time applications
|
Application Type |
Online |
Passport Express |
|
Total Domestic First time applications |
34,946 |
9,161 |
|
Incomplete domestic first time applications |
16,431 |
2,673 |
|
Complete domestic first time applications |
18,515 |
6,488 |
Table 2 - Domestic postal renewal (Passport Express) applications
|
Application Type |
Number of applications |
|
Complete Passport Express renewal applications |
6,209 |
|
Incomplete Passport Express renewal applications |
1,320 |
