Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
210. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to allow additional post offices within the UK to accept paper-based Irish passport applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21491/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens worldwide who wish to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, online passport application service, in person counter application facilities at the passport offices in Dublin, Cork and London, and the network of Irish Missions worldwide.
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. Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, South Africa, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Lesotho, Colombia, Panama, Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world. The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications. Currently, more than 90% of passport applications from Ireland and overseas are received through the passport online service. This is an increase from 47% in 2019.
The Passport Service is committed to continue to offer a range of application channels, including an offline service for citizens who are not eligible or do not wish to use the Passport Online service. The paper-based, mail-in "Passport Express" service is available to citizens applying from the United Kingdom at over 70 post office locations in Northern Ireland and at two post office locations in Great Britain, in Glasgow and Liverpool respectively. The turnaround time for this service is 8 weeks. The application form required for a Passport Express application (APS2 form) can be picked up from over 70 post office locations in Northern Ireland, 100 post office locations in Great Britain, from Irish centres in Great Britain or from the Embassy of Ireland in London. The Embassy can also post APS2 forms to applicants on request.
Details on how to apply using the Passport Express service from Northern Ireland or Great Britain can be found on my Department’s website (www.dfa.ie/passports/passport-express/).
I am satisfied that the service provided through Passport Express is enough to meet current and future demand for paper-based passport applications in the United Kingdom. While there are no current plans to enable passport applications to be accepted at additional UK post offices, the Passport Service will continue to consider ways in which to enhance customer experience for citizens worldwide.
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 .
