Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2022
443. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will meet with delegates from Sligo County Council in relation to the possibility of establishing a passport office in Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34001/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service is a unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street and Balbriggan in Dublin and South Mall in Cork, respectively. Passport applications from all citizens - whether from anywhere in Ireland or abroad - are distributed for processing across the three Passport Offices on the basis of the type of application rather than the place of residence of the applicant.
Over 90% of all passport applications, including first time applications, are now being made through Passport Online which is available to 97% of all applicants across the world. The Passport Service is committed to continuing 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.
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 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.
Having a centralised passport system allows us to maintain the integrity of this vitally important document. It ensures that applications are processed by highly skilled staff who are expertly trained. The Irish passport ranks fifth in the world in terms of its security. It is critical that this high standard is maintained.
Passport Service figures show a very small number of applicants, less than 1%, use the in-person Urgent Appointment Service available at the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork for those renewing their passport. This is mainly due to the efficiencies of the online system through which over 40% of adults using the service to renew their passport received it within 2 days.
Given the high percentage of applicants using Passport Online, I am confident that the range of service options available meets the current needs of passport applicants. Furthermore, recent service improvements allow the Passport Service to provide this essential citizen service in an efficient and effective manner. Given that that plans for additional passport offices are not under current consideration, a meeting would not be beneficial at this point. The Passport Service will, however, continue to consider ways in which to enhance customer experience for citizens.
