Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (348)

Michael McNamara

Ceist:

348. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5855/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific passport application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application is currently under consideration by the Passport Service. The Passport Service will be in touch shortly with the applicant.

Consular Services

Ceisteanna (349)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

349. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens abroad receiving consular or embassy assistance while being incarcerated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5873/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Consular assistance was requested and provided in approximately 320 cases involving Irish citizens imprisoned overseas between 2015 and 2021. In 2021, there were 23 new cases of Irish citizens in prison overseas in receipt of consular support.

The Department of Foreign Affairs provides consular assistance and support to any Irish citizen imprisoned overseas who requests our help. Our Embassies and Consulates provide direct assistance in many cases, through consular visits, when permitted, and through practical advice and assistance to individual detainees. Information on the types of assistance we can and cannot provide can be found at www.dfa.ie/travel/assistance-abroad/arrested-or-detained-abroad/.

My Department also works through our partnership with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO), which receives funding from our Emigrant Support Programme to support Irish prisoners overseas and their loved ones.

It should be noted that it is not possible to provide precise statistics for the number of Irish citizens detained or imprisoned overseas. In some cases the individuals involved do not seek any assistance or do not want the Irish authorities to be informed of their situations. In some other cases, regrettably, local authorities sometimes fail to notify the Irish authorities of the imprisonment of our citizens.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (350)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

350. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way a person (details supplied) can cancel their application when they cannot access the passport office on the number provided by the Houses of the Oireachtas urgent query service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5875/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application has been cancelled as requested.

Passport Services

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 351, 352, 361, 364 and 382 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Question No. 352 answered with Question No. 351.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (353)

Johnny Mythen

Ceist:

353. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5936/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (354, 355, 356, 359, 363, 386)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

354. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passports that are currently being processed; the current turnaround time for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5991/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

355. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to expand the capacity of the passport office to improve turnaround times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5993/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

356. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a commitment will be given to reopen the passport printing service and the introduction of an urgent appointment, one-day turnaround time in the passport office in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5994/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Gino Kenny

Ceist:

359. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that despite recent actions adopted to improve services at the Passport Office many people are still experiencing extensive delays across the board in terms of first-time passports and renewals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6025/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

363. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the rapid renewal service (details supplied) will be reopened; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6104/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Darren O'Rourke

Ceist:

386. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way that he plans to address the significant delays for those who apply by post for a passport renewal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6612/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 354, 355, 356, 359, 363 and 386 together.

In January 2022, the Passport Service received over 137,000 new passport applications. This is the highest volume of monthly applications ever received and indicates that there is pent-up demand for passports following the relaxation of necessary travel restrictions due to the Covid pandemic. The Passport Service estimates that up to 1.7 million passport applications will be received this year.

The Passport Service issued over 634,000 passports in 2021 and 45% of simple adult renewals were issued within one business day.

While there is a very high volume of applications in the system, this does not represent a backlog. 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 where the Passport Service is waiting for the customer to complete the application. In these cases, the onus is on the customer to submit the required documents to the Service. While the Passport Service makes every effort to contact applicants in such circumstances, their experience is that many applicants take weeks and sometimes months to send in the necessary documents.

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 processing times for a standard online renewal passport applications compare very favourably to processing times internationally in countries such as the UK, United States, Canada and Australia.

The Passport Service is currently experiencing high demand for first time passports, particularly for children. These first time applications are necessarily complex to process, since they are essentially applications for Irish citizenship. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. It is the statutory responsibility of the Passport Service to protect the integrity of the Irish passport. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of first time applicants. In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must also be thoroughly validated. Due to the intensive analysis underpinning first time online passport applications, the processing time is 40 working days.

My Department has been pro-actively planning to ensure the necessary resources are in place to meet the current and expected level of demand in 2022 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.

The Passport Service Customer Service Hub officers respond to customer queries by phone and webchat as well as with enquiries related to Emergency Passport cases. The Customer Service Hub handled over 175,000 enquiries in 2021 and is handling over 5,000 customer contacts each week. During times of high demand, there can be delays in getting through to a service agent due to the volumes of enquiries. The Passport Service webchat is also operational and customers should refresh the page if the icon is grey. A webchat operator is available when the icon is green. I am confident that the recruitment of additional staff, along with significant training initiatives, will have a positive impact on our response to customer service demand.

The Passport Service 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. 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. There are no plans at this time to commission additional passport production equipment.

The Passport Offices in Mount St, Dublin 2 and in Cork offer an Urgent Appointment Service for the renewal of passports. This service was launched in Dublin on 27th September 2021 and in Cork on 26th October 2021. The Urgent Appointment Service ensures that, for those who unexpectedly require a very urgent turnaround of a passport renewal, there is an option available that is transparent, predictable and clear. It means that an applicant can book and pay for their appointment, safe in the knowledge that they will have their passport within a day, or a few days. To avail of the Urgent Appointment Service for Passport Renewal, applicants must first book an appointment to attend the public office in Dublin or Cork. Applicants can book an appointment through the Department of Foreign Affairs website (www.dfa.ie/passports).

The Urgent Appointment Service replaced the Rapid Renewal Service and customers availing of this service can renew their passport within 1 or 4 days in Dublin or in 4 days in Cork.

Over 2,500 citizens who required an urgent appointment have been accommodated by the passport offices in Dublin and Cork since they re-opened. Last week, the Passport Service has increased the number of appointments at its public offices by 100%, providing an extra 170 appointments per week.

The Travel Emergency service remains available to citizens in cases of medical emergency or death of a family member abroad.

The current turnaround time for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service is 8 weeks. Proposed turnaround times for 2022 aim to reduce this turnaround time. Passport Online is the priority channel for applications as there are many efficiencies built into the system for both the applicant and the Passport Service. The Passport Online Service is four times quicker than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications and is the fastest, easiest and safest way to apply for a passport. Over 90% of applicants now apply online compared to 47% of applications received online in 2019.

Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, irrespective of age both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.

I strongly urge anyone who is considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply for their passports online in plenty of time.

Question No. 355 answered with Question No. 354.

Question No. 356 answered with Question No. 354.

Human Rights

Ceisteanna (357)

Marian Harkin

Ceist:

357. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); the actions his Department has taken in relation to this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6003/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels.

I note with concern the details in the case referred to by the Deputy. Officials from my Department have raised concerns over the human rights situation in Bahrain directly with the Bahraini authorities, including the specific case of Dr. Abduljalil Alsingace.

Our active participation at the UN Human Rights Council is a particularly important fora in which to raise our concerns regarding human rights. Ireland has raised the human rights issues in Bahrain at the Human Rights Council in the form of national statements and through support to EU Statements.Ireland also engages on the issue of human rights in Bahrain as a member of the European Union. At the most recent EU-Bahrain Human Rights Dialogue in February 2021, issues of concern were raised by the EU including rule of law, prison conditions, right to a fair trial, freedom of expression, freedom of association, death penalty, torture and the impact of Covid-19 on the human rights situation.

The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, has also made representations to the Bahraini authorities on human rights issues, including the detention of a number of individuals.

Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Bahrain, and calls on the Bahraini Government to deliver on its stated commitment to make progress in relation to human rights.

Human Rights

Ceisteanna (358)

Marian Harkin

Ceist:

358. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the changes that have been made regarding Irish-Bahraini relations since the deteriorating human rights conditions have been brought to the attention of his Department by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6004/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels.

I am aware of the concerns regarding the human rights situation in Bahrain. Officials from my Department have raised concerns over the human rights situation in Bahrain directly with the Bahraini authorities, including the issue of freedom of expression, detention of human rights defenders, and conditions in prisons.

The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, has also made representations to the Bahraini authorities on human rights issues, including the detention of a number of individuals.

Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Bahrain, and calls on the Bahraini Government to deliver on its stated commitment to make progress in relation to human rights.

Question No. 359 answered with Question No. 354.

Departmental Contracts

Ceisteanna (360)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

360. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the agencies under the remit of his Department; the amount that has been spent on all Covid-19-related consultancy contracts by his Department and agencies under his remit in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the amount paid for each consultant; and the reason for the consultancy. [6038/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department engages external contractors, consultancy services, professional services and outsourcing services where highly specialised skills are not available internally and in particular, where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is necessary.

The Department did not engage any Covid-19-related consultancies in the years in question.

There are no agencies under the remit of the Department.

Question No. 361 answered with Question No. 351.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (362)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

362. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding a passport renewal application by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6103/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the applicant mistakenly applied for a first time passport rather than a passport renewal when completing the application form online. As a result, the estimated issue date given was in line with processing times for first time applications.

The Passport Service has issued a passport to this applicant.

Question No. 363 answered with Question No. 354.

Question No. 364 answered with Question No. 351.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (365, 368)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

365. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a schedule of the time backlogs on all accepted foreign-birth Irish passport applications by country; and the additional resources he has provided and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6180/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

368. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a schedule of the time backlogs on all accepted foreign Irish passport renewal applications by country; and the additional resources he has provided and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6183/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Deputy Simon Coveney)

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 365 and 368 together.

The tables below outline the numbers of passport applications on hand with the Passport Service from overseas by country. Table 1 details the number of complete online applications that are with the Passport Service for processing. Table 2 details the number of incomplete online applications that require additional action by the applicant to be completed. 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

Online processing times apply to all online applications regardless of whether they originate in Ireland or overseas. These processing times are in addition to the time it takes for the postal provider to deliver the passport. This can vary depending on the applicant's location.

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.

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.

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 - Complete online applications with Passport Service for processing

Country	*Adult/Child FTA/Renewal**	Total per category	Total
ALBANIA	Adult Renewal	1	1
ARGENTINA	Adult Renewal	1	1
AUSTRALIA	Adult FTA	292	573
AUSTRALIA	Adult Renewal	46
AUSTRALIA	Child FTA	219
AUSTRALIA	Child Renewal	16
AUSTRIA	Adult FTA	13	19
AUSTRIA	Adult Renewal	2
AUSTRIA	Child FTA	4
BARBADOS	Child Renewal	1	1
BELGIUM	Adult FTA	19	42
BELGIUM	Adult Renewal	6
BELGIUM	Child FTA	14
BELGIUM	Child Renewal	3
BULGARIA	Adult FTA	5	5
CANADA	Adult FTA	308	410
CANADA	Adult Renewal	19
CANADA	Child FTA	75
CANADA	Child Renewal	8
CANARY ISLANDS	Adult FTA	2	6
CANARY ISLANDS	Adult Renewal	1
CANARY ISLANDS	Child FTA	3
CHILE	Adult FTA	2	4
CHILE	Adult Renewal	1
CHILE	Child FTA	1
COLOMBIA	Child FTA	1	1
CROATIA	Adult FTA	1	1
CYPRUS	Child FTA	4	7
CYPRUS	Adult FTA	3
CZECH REPUBLIC	Child FTA	8	11
CZECH REPUBLIC	Adult FTA	3
DENMARK	Adult FTA	17	29
DENMARK	Child FTA	12
ECUADOR	Adult FTA	2	3
ECUADOR	Child Renewal	1
EGYPT	Adult Renewal	2	2
ESTONIA	Adult FTA	1	1
FINLAND	Adult FTA	12	16
FINLAND	Child FTA	4
FRANCE	Adult FTA	176	253
FRANCE	Adult Renewal	4
FRANCE	Child FTA	65
FRANCE	Child Renewal	8
GERMANY	Adult FTA	81	118
GERMANY	Adult Renewal	4
GERMANY	Child FTA	33
GHANA	Child Renewal	2	2
GIBRALTAR	Adult FTA	11	16
GIBRALTAR	Adult Renewal	1
GIBRALTAR	Child FTA	4
GREECE	Adult FTA	8	11
GREECE	Adult Renewal	1
GREECE	Child FTA	1
GREECE	Child Renewal	1
GUERNSEY	Adult FTA	10	11
GUERNSEY	Child FTA	1
HONG KONG	Adult Renewal	1	1
HUNGARY	Adult FTA	4	7
HUNGARY	Adult Renewal	1
HUNGARY	Child FTA	1
HUNGARY	Child Renewal	1
ICELAND	Adult FTA	2	2
INDIA	Adult FTA	2	2
INDONESIA	Child FTA	1	2
INDONESIA	Child Renewal	1
ISLE OF MAN	Adult FTA	32	44
ISLE OF MAN	Adult Renewal	3
ISLE OF MAN	Child FTA	8
ISLE OF MAN	Child Renewal	1
ISRAEL	Adult Renew	1	2
ISRAEL	Child Renewal	1
ITALY	Adult FTA	30	42
ITALY	Child FTA	10
ITALY	Child Renewal	2
JAPAN	Adult FTA	1	2
JAPAN	Child Renewal	1
JORDAN	Child Renewal	1	1
KENYA	Adult Renewal	1	1
LATVIA	Child FTA	1	1
LITHUANIA	Adult FTA	2	3
LITHUANIA	Child FTA	1
LUXEMBOURG	Child FTA	9	17
LUXEMBOURG	Child Renewal	1
LUXEMBOURG	Adult FTA	7
MALTA	Adult FTA	8	13
MALTA	Child FTA	5
MEXICO	Child Renewal	2	2
NETHERLANDS	Adult FTA	46	75
NETHERLANDS	Adult Renewal	6
NETHERLANDS	Child FTA	18
NETHERLANDS	Child Renewal	5
NEW ZEALAND	Adult FTA	81	115
NEW ZEALAND	Adult Renewal	5
NEW ZEALAND	Child FTA	24
NEW ZEALAND	Child Renewal	5
NIGERIA	Child Renewal	1	1
NORWAY	Adult FTA	9	14
NORWAY	Adult Renweal	2
NORWAY	Child FTA	3
PAKISTAN	Adult Renewal	1	1
PANAMA	Child FTA	1	1
PERU	Adult FTA	1	1
PHILIPPINES	Adult FTA	1	2
PHILIPPINES	Adult Renewal	1
POLAND	Child FTA	10	31
POLAND	Child Renewal	7
POLAND	Adult FTA	14
PORTUGAL	Child FTA	13	21
PORTUGAL	Adult FTA	8
QATAR	Child FTA	1	1
ROMANIA	Adult FTA	2	4
ROMANIA	Adult Renewal	2
SAUDI ARABIA	Adult Renewal	1	1
SINGAPORE	Child Renewal	2	5
SINGAPORE	Child FTA	1
SINGAPORE	Adult FTA	1
SINGAPORE	Adult Renewal	1
SLOVAK REPUBLIC	Child FTA	2	2
SLOVENIA	Adult FTA	2	2
SOUTH AFRICA	Adult Renewal	7	13
SOUTH AFRICA	Child Renewal	6
SPAIN	Adult FTA	171	225
SPAIN	Adult Renewal	7
SPAIN	Child FTA	43
SPAIN	Child Renewal	4
SWEDEN	Adult FTA	12	19
SWEDEN	Child FTA	7
SWITZERLAND	Adult FTA	40	81
SWITZERLAND	Adult Renewal	3
SWITZERLAND	Child FTA	32
SWITZERLAND	Child Renewal	6
THAILAND	Child Renewal	4	7
THAILAND	Adult Renewal	3
UKRAINE	Child Renewal	2	2
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Child Renewal	8	14
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Adult Renewal	6
UNITED KINGDOM	Adult FTA	8,427	10,393
UNITED KINGDOM	Adult Renewal	326
UNITED KINGDOM	FTA	1,501
UNITED KINGDOM	Renewal	139
UNITED STATES	Adult FTA	1,621	2,096
UNITED STATES	Adult Renewal	56
UNITED STATES	Adult FTA	379
UNITED STATES	Adult Renewal	40
ZIMBABWE	Child Renewal	1	1
			14,814

*FTA refers to First Time Applicant

Table 2 - Incomplete online passport applications with applicant for further action

Country	Adult/Child FTA/Renewal	Total per category	Total
AFGHANISTAN	Adult FTA	1	1
ALBANIA	Adult FTA	1	1
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA	Adult FTA	1	1
ARGENTINA	Child Renewal	2	2
AUSTRALIA	Child FTA	324	1,065
AUSTRALIA	Child Renewal	222
AUSTRALIA	Adult FTA	420
AUSTRALIA	Adult Renewal	99
AUSTRIA	Child FTA	7	23
AUSTRIA	Child Renewal	7
AUSTRIA	Adult FTA	6
AUSTRIA	Adult Renewal	3
BAHRAIN	Child Renewal	8	8
BARBADOS	Child Renewal	1	1
BELGIUM	Child Renewal	22	51
BELGIUM	Child FTA	12
BELGIUM	Adult FTA	17
BERMUDA	Child Renewal	6	6
BOTSWANA	Child Renewal	3	4
BOTSWANA	Adult FTA	1
BRAZIL	Child Renewal	1	1
BULGARIA	Adult FTA	2	3
BULGARIA	Child FTA	1
CANADA	Adult FTA	274	455
CANADA	Adult Renewal	18
CANADA	Child FTA	108
CANADA	Child Renewal	55
CANARY ISLANDS	Child Renewal	3	12
CANARY ISLANDS	Child Renewal	2
CANARY ISLANDS	Adult FTA	1
CAYMAN ISLANDS	Child Renewal	6
CHILE	Adult FTA	1	1
CHINA	Child Renewal	11	11
COLOMBIA	Adult Renewal	2	4
COLOMBIA	Adult FTA	1
COLOMBIA	Child Renewal	1
CROATIA	Child FTA	1	1
CYPRUS	Adult FTA	10	15
CYPRUS	Adult Renewal	1
CYPRUS	Child FTA	2
CYPRUS	Child Renewal	2
CZECH REPUBLIC	Child FTA	4	12
CZECH REPUBLIC	Child Renewal	4
CZECH REPUBLIC	Adult FTA	3
CZECH REPUBLIC	Adult Renewal	1
DENMARK	Adult FTA	11	20
DENMARK	Child FTA	7
DENMARK	Child Renewal	2
DOMINICA	Child Renewal	1	1
EGYPT	Child Renewal	3	3
ESTONIA	Child Renewal	2	2
FINLAND	Adult FTA	5	10
FINLAND	Child Renewal	3
FINLAND	Child FTA	2
FRANCE	Adult FTA	114	236
FRANCE	Adult Renewal	10
FRANCE	Child Renewal	63
FRANCE	Child FTA	49
GERMANY	Child Renewal	43	131
GERMANY	Child FTA	23
GERMANY	Adult FTA	54
GERMANY	Adult Renewal	11
GHANA	Child Renewal	2	2
GIBRALTAR	Adult FTA	3	8
GIBRALTAR	Adult Renewal	1
GIBRALTAR	Child FTA	4
GREECE	Adult FTA	6	8
GREECE	Child FTA	1
GREECE	Child Renewal	1
GUERNSEY	Adult FTA	7	9
GUERNSEY	Adult Renewal	1
GUERNSEY	Child FTA	1
HONG KONG	Child Renewal	11	16
HONG KONG	Adult Renewal	5
HUNGARY	Child Renewal	3	6
HUNGARY	Child FTA	1
HUNGARY	Adult FTA	1
HUNGARY	Adult Renewal	1
ICELAND	Adult FTA	3	4
ICELAND	Child FTA	1
INDIA	Child Renewal	3	3
INDONESIA	Child Renewal	4	4
ISLE OF MAN	Adult FTA	16	23
ISLE OF MAN	Adult FTA	7
ISRAEL	Child Renewal	4	5
ISRAEL	Adult Renewal	1
ITALY	Adult FTA	16	32
ITALY	Adult Renewal	2
ITALY	Child FTA	9
ITALY	Child Renewal	5
JAPAN	Adult FTA	1	1
JORDAN	Child Renewal	4	4
KENYA	Adult Renewal	3	5
KENYA	Child Renewal	2
KUWAIT	Adult Renewal	1	2
KUWAIT	Child Renewal	1
KYRGYZSTAN	Child Renewal	1	1
LATVIA	Child Renewal	3	4
LATVIA	Adult FTA	1
LEBANON	Child Renewal	2	2
LITHUANIA	Child Renewal	6	9
LITHUANIA	Child FTA	2
LITHUANIA	Adult FTA	1
LUXEMBOURG	Child Renewal	6	12
LUXEMBOURG	Child FTA	3
LUXEMBOURG	Adult FTA	2
LUXEMBOURG	Adult Renewal	1
MACEDONIA	Child Renewal	1	1
MALAWI	Renewal	1	1
MALAYSIA	Child Renewal	2	2
MALTA	Child FTA	2	6
MALTA	Child Renewal	2
MALTA	Adult FTA	2
MEXICO	Child FTA	1	2
MEXICO	Child Renewal	1
MONGOLIA	Child Renewal	1	1
NAMIBIA	Child Renewal	3	3
NETHERLANDS	Child Renewal	30	91
NETHERLANDS	Child FTA	21
NETHERLANDS	Adult FTA	33
NETHERLANDS	Adult Renewal	7
NEW ZEALAND	Adult FTA	98	160
NEW ZEALAND	Adult Renewal	11
NEW ZEALAND	Child FTA	34
NEW ZEALAND	Child Renewal	17
NICARAGUA	Child Renewal	2	2
NIGERIA	Child Renewal	9	12
NIGERIA	Adult Renewal	2
NIGERIA	Adult FTA	1
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS	Adult FTA	1	1
NORWAY	Adult FTA	13	19
NORWAY	Adult Renewal	2
NORWAY	Child FTA	2
NORWAY	Child Renewal	2
OMAN	Child Renewal	1	1
PAKISTAN	Child Renewal	4	8
PAKISTAN	Adult Renewal	1
PANAMA	Child FTA	2
PANAMA	Child Renewal	1
PERU	Child FTA	1	2
PERU	Child Renewal	1
PHILIPPINES	Child Renewal	4	4
POLAND	Child Renewal	27	35
POLAND	Child FTA	5
POLAND	Adult FTA	2
POLAND	Adult Renewal	1
PORTUGAL	Adult FTA	12	26
PORTUGAL	Adult Renewal	3
PORTUGAL	Child Renewal	6
PORTUGAL	Child FTA	5
PUERTO RICO	Child Renewal	1	1
QATAR	Child Renewal	5	6
QATAR	Adult Renewal	1
ROMANIA	Child Renewal	7	12
ROMANIA	Child FTA	1
ROMANIA	Adult FTA	3
ROMANIA	Adult Renewal	1
RUSSIA	Child Renewal	4	6
RUSSIA	Adult FTA	1
RUSSIA	Adult Renewal	1
SAUDI ARABIA	Child Renewal	14	16
SAUDI ARABIA	Adult Renewal	2
SINGAPORE	Child Renewal	14	17
SINGAPORE	Child FTA	3
SLOVAK REPUBLIC	Child Renewal	3	4
SLOVAK REPUBLIC	Adult FTA	1
SLOVENIA	Adult FTA	1	1
SOMALIA	Child FTA	1	1
SOUTH AFRICA	Child Renewal	42	63
SOUTH AFRICA	Adult Renewal	21
SOUTH KOREA REPUBLIC OF KOREA	Adult Renewal	1	1
SPAIN	Adult FTA	87	174
SPAIN	Adult Renewal	14
SPAIN	Child Renewal	38
SPAIN	Child FTA	35
SWEDEN	Child FTA	14	28
SWEDEN	Child Renewal	2
SWEDEN	Adult FTA	11
SWEDEN	Adult Renewal	1
SWITZERLAND	Adult FTA	37	91
SWITZERLAND	Adult Renewal	10
SWITZERLAND	Child Renewal	23
SWITZERLAND	Child FTA	21
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC	Child Renewal	2	2
TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA	Adult Renewal	1	1
THAILAND	Child Renewal	6	6
TOGO	Adult FTA	1	1
TURKEY	Adult FTA	2	6
TURKEY	Adult Renewal	1
TURKEY	Child Renewal	3
UKRAINE	Adult FTA	1	1
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Child Renewal	25	36
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Child FTA	1
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Adult Renewal	6
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Adult FTA	4
UNITED KINGDOM	Adult FTA	6,646	9,471
UNITED KINGDOM	Adult Renewal	447
UNITED KINGDOM	Child FTA	1,537
UNITED KINGDOM	Child Renewal	841
UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA	Child Renewal	3	4
UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA	Adult Renewal	1
UNITED STATES	Adult FTA	1,360	2,081
UNITED STATES	Adult Renewal	119
UNITED STATES	Child FTA	358
UNITED STATES	Child Renewal	244
VIETNAM	Child FTA	1	2
VIETNAM	Child Renewal	1
ZIMBABWE	Adult Renewal	2	5
ZIMBABWE	Adult FTA	1
ZIMBABWE	Child Renewal	2
			14,655

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (366, 367)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

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 fhreagra

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

367. 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 fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I 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.

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 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.

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

Question No. 367 answered with Question No. 366.

Question No. 368 answered with Question No. 365.

Passport Services

Ceisteanna (369)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

369. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has procured new buildings to house the new Irish Consulate General Offices in Lyon, Miami and Toronto. [6222/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The decision to open new Consulates General in Lyon, Miami and Toronto was taken as part of the Government's Global Ireland initiative to double the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint to 2025. The Consulates General are scheduled to open in late 2022. No Consulate premises or official accommodation have been procured to date. Such procurement will commence later this year and will be conducted in line with public procurement obligations.