Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The passport service is in peak season with 53,139 applications in the system as of 1 July. The level of demand is very high this year with an 11% rise in the number of applications year-to-date compared to the same period last year. However, the situation has improved somewhat in recent weeks. On 31 May, there were a total of 68,009 applications in the system and this figure has fallen throughout June.

To respond to the seasonal spike in demand and the more general increase in applications, a total of 233 temporary clerical officers have been recruited so far this year, an increase of 62 on last year. Furthermore, processing work has been redistributed across passport offices and staff have been redeployed from other areas of the Department as needed. As a matter of best practice, I recommend that applicants apply well in advance of travel and allow six weeks in case any difficulty arises with an application, for example, an incomplete application form.

The most convenient way to apply for a passport is via passport express. The passport office advise applicants to allow 15 working days for renewals submitted via passport express. At the moment, these applications are being processed within 13 working days. First-time applications take longer due to additional anti-fraud measures and the passport office advisers to first-time applicants using password express to allow 20 working days. At the current time, first-time applications are taking 19 working days.

While there is likely to be an increase in the number of first-time applications submitted from the UK and British people living overseas, it is too early to assess how significant this will be. We are seeing an increased number of queries relating to passport and citizenship from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere. The passport office will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the effective deployment of staff resources and to minimise the impact of the high volume of applications on turnaround times and customer service. The need for additional resources will be kept under review.

See this speech in context