Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his kind wishes and I wish him well on his reappointment as Minister and the same to the Ministers of State, Deputy McHugh and Deputy Dara Murphy. I very much look forward to working with the Minister in a spirit of co-operation.

In respect of my question, I am aware that the target turnaround time is 15 working days. The problem at the moment is that turnaround time is not being met. People who have applied, assuming a 15-day turnaround, are being told now that is being extended to 30 days. I am aware there has been a significant increase in the volume.

What steps is the Passport Office, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, taking to deal with the increased workload? It is causing a great deal of stress for families who have saved hard to go on holiday and travel. The Department needs to focus on bringing the average turnaround time back to 15 days.

Applications for brand new passports or to replace lost or stolen ones require the production of the new public service card. Many people have not been issued with a public services card. They then have to make an appointment, further elongating the process.

This is a major issue. We receive many complaints about it and it is causing a lot of anxiety for people who have spent significant sums of money on foreign holidays and find now that they may not be able to travel.

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