Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Collins for sharing my sentiments in terms of complimenting the Passport Service and those who work there on the excellent service it is providing to the public. I have visited the staff at its office in Balbriggan. Every day, they face a significant administrative and technical challenge in terms of the numbers of applications with which they must deal. They do so under pressure at times. The online opportunity and the way the service has used technology to actively engage with and support the public in offering this service is an exemplar for all other Departments. The online passport service has received numerous awards.

It is also an exemplar internationally. I have spoken to colleagues around the world regarding their passport services. Many of them are seeking to emulate how Ireland has approached this issue. As Ireland continues to pitch itself internationally as a digital island at the cutting edge of the development and use of technology, it is important that we continue to innovate in terms of our interaction with and the excellent service we provide to the public.

On emergency appointments, I will revert to the people at the helm of that service to see whether additional capacity can be put in. They always endeavour to facilitate people as best they can, particularly those in particularly challenging circumstances whose passport may have been mislaid or gone out of date and who urgently need to travel.

I thank Deputy McLoughlin for sharing his sentiments and complimenting the Passport Service. The share of applications made online is moving towards 60%. We hope online applications will ultimately encompass the remaining 40% as far as possible.

As I made clear in my opening statement, a significant part of the challenge is making people aware that the opportunity exists to renew one's passport from anywhere in the world within a few minutes, whether one is sitting on one's sofa in Singapore or in Shannon, using one's smartphone, laptop or tablet. It is an example of what can be done when people are innovative and ambitious in providing the best possible service to the public.

The additional €14 million in income accrued solely from additional applications.