Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
152. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there has been any consideration given to increasing the number of queries Deputies can make weekly using the Oireachtas urgent query line given their proximity to the Border (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27975/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra153. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are any plans to establish a designated helpline for Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament to query passport applications on behalf of Irish citizens in the North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27976/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra154. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if any briefings with Members of the Legislative Assembly, Members of Parliament and their staff will be provided ahead of the summer months to assist constituency offices in the North to provide up-to-date information on the passport process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27977/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra155. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications queried through the Members of the Legislative Assembly Passport Portal; the current waiting time for a query response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27978/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 to 155, inclusive, together.
We are currently in the busy season for passports, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Demand forecasts indicate that the Passport Service will issue just under 1.1 million passports this year.
Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully meeting the current high demand, and all turnaround times are at their target level. The Passport Service has issued over 510,000 passports to date in 2023, and the Customer Service Hub is responding to an average of 15,000 queries per week.
Passport applicants can track the status of their passport application online via the Passport Tracker which is available on this website - www.dfa.ie/passporttracking/. The information available on the tracker is an excellent guide as to where an application is in the system. I encourage all applicants who have a query about their application to contact the Passport Service Customer Service Hub, where they can speak to a Passport Service agent via phone or web chat. The Passport Service significantly scaled up the Hub over the past 18 months in response to the increased demand for passports and the Hub continues to be a priority area for staffing in the context of ongoing recruitment.
In October 2021, the Passport Service established a phone line to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases. The phone line was established during a time of extraordinary demand for the Passport Service as a result of pent up demand following the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting interruptions to the service. It is important to note that this channel does not function as a means of expediting passport applications. In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question and provides a status update to the Oireachtas Member. Where the estimated issue-by date has been exceeded the Passport Service will follow up on this internally. Where an applicant requires their passport for a genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad, such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.
While public representatives often hear of the most complex and pressing cases, the overwhelming majority of passport applicants have their passport processed without any recourse to their local representative.
Members of the Oireachtas are currently allocated up to 20 queries per week. The service is utilised by approximately 60% of Oireachtas members, out of which only a small percentage use their maximum query allocation, with approximately half using less than 5 queries. Based on the level of usage, the current allocation seems sufficient. Further future consideration can be given to this allocation, if this is deemed necessary.
I have fully supported the provision of an online portal for passport queries from Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Northern Ireland, which was launched in April 2023. The portal operates on a similar basis to the Oireachtas phone line. Since its launch on 17 April until 02 June, the Members of Legislative Assembly Passport Portal has handled 280 queries. The current standard waiting time for a query response is two working days.
All elected representatives of Irish citizens, including those from Northern Ireland, can also make formal representations to me in relation to passport applications by submitting inquiries directly to my office.
I strongly encourage all elected representatives to advise their constituents of the benefits of using Passport Online, and to check their passport before booking travel. The Passport Service website contains a comprehensive guide for applicants, covering everything from documentary requirements to guidelines for taking a passport photo. I would like to remind citizens and elected representatives that the most appropriate channel for passport queries is the Passport Service Customer Service Hub.
Given the resources available to applicants which have been outlined above, there are no current plans to provide briefing to MLAs or Members of Parliament in relation to the passport application process. This is something that my Department can keep under review for potential future needs.
