Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the reason he is seeking extra funding. I compliment the staff on the excellent work that is done in the Passport Office. Every Oireachtas Member has a number of dealings with the Passport Office each month. I hope, with the agreement of the committee, that word will go back to the Passport Office. I have not known anybody who had to cancel a holiday because he or she could not get a passport. Sometimes one can nearly get a passport on the same day in cases of unforeseen circumstances. The staff of the Passport Office are understanding, they listen and will revert to members and discuss matters. In the context of the service that is provided by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade's office, Members of the Houses can e-mail the Department directly and they usually receive calls back fairly fast. I want to acknowledge that service.

The Minister of State mentioned the increase in demand for Irish passports from 680.000 to 740,000. There is a rising demand from Northern Ireland, where there has been a 70% increase. The demand from Great Britain has more than doubled. The Minister of State may not have the information to hand, in which case I can table a parliamentary question, but will he indicate whether the additional applications have been approved or have there been instances of people chancing their arm and seeking an Irish passport due having, for example, a great, great, great grandfather who was Irish. Since the election Mr. Donald Trump, has there been an increase in demand for Irish passports from the US, particularly in view of the fact that there are more then 40 million people of Irish descent in that country?

Ireland is very well respected at the United Nations. Irish soldiers who serve with the UN peacekeeping forces abroad are also very well respected. I was travelling around Lebanon and met with various groups and officials and they had nothing but the height of respect for the members of the Irish Army that are on UN peacekeeping duties abroad. I visited the refugee camps within the Syrian border in a private capacity. I and a few Irish people were travelling with a few delegation of individuals from around the world. We had a security detail travelling with us and its members came over to the Irish party to acknowledge that they respect the Irish and that the Irish are very well respected in Lebanon. It nice to hear about the Irish Army serving with the UN in Lebanon. I support the Supplementary Estimate.