Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Many of the Deputy's questions were answered by my original reply. We have recruited the additional 50 staff. The passport service receives approximately 2,900 applications per day. However, I stated that passport demand is running at 13.8% higher than it was at this time in 2009. The main reason for this is the publicity around the delay owing to industrial action. Many people decided to get their applications in for fear of the length of time the process would take. That is the logic.

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