Mr. Joseph Nugent:

I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for the opportunity to discuss passport processing in Ireland. I am joined by my colleagues Fiona Penollar, who heads the Molesworth Street office, and Siobhan Watters, who also works in the Molesworth Street office.

The environment in which Irish passports issue has changed enormously over the past decade. In 1995 the passport service issued approximately 250,000 passports. This number doubled over the next five years to just over 500,000 and by a further 20% to 600,000 in 2010. In 2013, over 631,000 passports issued to Irish citizens around the world. The same period has witnessed major developments in the legislative landscape. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 changed the nature of citizenship rights, while the Passport Act 2008 is the first primary legislation governing the issuance of Irish passports.

The period has also seen the proliferation in the use of passports over and above the travel document arena. The Irish passport has taken the position as the trusted national identity document and is used in all aspects of life, from school registration to matters of probate, and from access to bars to supporting applications to open bank accounts. As a result the passport service has had to balance measures to protect against identity theft and child abduction on one hand, with easy to use application procedures on the other.

The application processes have therefore been designed to protect our customers. At the same time the passport service has met the fiscal challenges of the period. Last year, in comparison to 2009, the passport service issued 60,000 more passports with over 10% fewer staff and a 90% lower overtime bill. I would like to publicly acknowledge today that this has been achieved by the dedication of my colleagues to deliver a first class service to Irish citizens.

I am also pleased to state that the international reputation of the Irish passport and issuance processes remains high. Ireland was recently ranked joint sixth of countries whose citizens are affected the least by visa restrictions. We probably all remember the long queues experienced by citizens at certain embassies in Dublin when visas were required. Visa-free travel is something we can never take for granted and something we must seek to protect for the sake of all Irish citizens.

Last year, the passport service was in the position to assist over 631,000 citizens in obtaining an Irish passport. As a result, the passport service is one of the biggest providers of public services across the Civil Service, and is certainly the largest direct contact point between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Irish citizens, most particularly the primary interaction between the State and Irish citizens resident off the island. More passports have issued in the last two years than at any other time in the history of the State.

The passport service is a demand-driven organisation with major seasonal variations. Almost 50% of all passport applications are received in the four months April to July. We seek to meet this seasonal demand through the recruitment of additional temporary staff, most taken from the live register. This year 160 temporary clerical officers will be engaged, with the first commencing work in a couple of weeks' time. Notwithstanding the best efforts to plan in advance for seasonal pressures, spikes in demand can still occur. Last year, May and July saw such spikes with approximately 10,000 additional applications received in each month over previous years. Inevitably this can result in some short delays in passport turnaround. As a result, we continue to advise that citizens apply well in advance of travel.

Almost 90% of all passport applications within the State are now made through the Passport Express service. This service is available at over 1,000 post offices around the country. From the start of July last year, it was decided that passport applications submitted through the ordinary post channel would no longer be accepted, with customers referred to the Passport Express service. This decision was made reflecting that over 90% of passport applications submitted through the ordinary post channel were either inaccurate or incomplete on arrival. In comparison, only 10% of Passport Express applications posed similar difficulties. Regarding applications from citizens resident overseas, approximately 40,000 passports are issued by the Irish Passport Office in London to citizens resident in the UK, with a further 40,000 passports issued by all other overseas missions. Over the past five years the highest issuing Irish missions have been New York, Canberra, San Francisco, Sydney and Pretoria. Ottawa is sixth on that list.

Almost 250,000 passports issued to minors last year. The changes in citizenship law resultant from the enactment of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 have made the processing of these applications much more complicated in many cases. Furthermore, the legal obligations on the passport service to recognise the rights of all guardians is not often appreciated or understood by citizens. Last year we received on average two new parental objections to the issuance of a passport to a child per week. We are currently managing almost 2,500 open cases of parental objection.

The annualised cost of an Irish passport for an adult is €8. This fee has remained unchanged since 2009. The fee compares with approximately €8.60 in the UK, €8.15 in the USA, €8.55 in New Zealand, €11.50 in Canada, €8.80 in France and €8 in Germany. In June 2013 the Passport Office in Molesworth Street moved to a service whereby customers book, via a simple web based system, guaranteed time slots before travelling to the office. The Chairman mentioned this change. The public have responded very well to this new arrangement. Customers are now in and out having lodged their application in approximately ten minutes. The change has removed the necessity to queue for many hours, of unknown duration, and early in the morning outside, often in inclement weather. The introduction of this service has allowed the office to extended the public opening hours of the office from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. to 9.00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Priority in the system is given to those with urgent travel needs, travelling in three to ten days, with the majority of appointments available to those who fit into this category. Over 200 people per day availed of this service through the height of the summer in 2013. It is intended the service will operate in the Cork office later this year. The passport service continues to provide the service of turning around applications on the same day in cases where a passport is required for travel necessitated by an emergency such as the death or illness of a family member. However, at his appearance before the committee last week the Tánaiste invited members to consider and propose options whereby this service could extend to others who have found that their passport has expired and they must travel at very short notice.

We are committed to identifying a suitable option in this regard, but I would not like to underestimate the challenges to deliver on this commitment. On a number of days in summer 2012, over 600 people visited the Molesworth Street office looking for passports to travel at very short notice. Changes resultant from the introduction of the appointment service have already allowed 200 people per day to avail of this express arrangement. However, I am very conscious that there remains a gap in service provision and some people do find themselves in difficulty, needing a passport within hours. Extending the service must recognise the necessity to protect against identity theft and child abduction, including abduction by a parent, and must also maintain the integrity of the issuance process. It will be necessary to recognise the resource implications of any new proposals. Additionally, it is vital to find a mechanism whereby the applications of those who have applied in good time are not, as a consequence, delayed. I look forward to hearing the views from the committee in this regard.

A high point for the passport service in 2013 was the launch of a new passport book design with enhanced security features. The images used are representative of aspects of the Irish landscape and Irish culture. Over 100,000 of these new books are already in circulation and there has been a very warm reaction to the design, especially from Irish citizens resident overseas. The book was designed and produced in Ireland, won through a competitive tendering process by a consortium of Irish companies with design work delivered by a number of young Irish designers.

I have tried to cover some of the major issues for passport issuance in Ireland. I thank the Chairman and the committee for taking such an interest in passport issuance. The visit of the committee to the Balbriggan facility was very much appreciated. I welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have.