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

Regarding the renewal of applications within 15 days, I do not believe all of those are being met. Online appointments are limited, as the Minister said, and it is not a real option for people. I welcome the fact that he will issue an up-to-date note but my particular issue with this is that the figures for last year show there was an increase of almost 10%, with 740,000 passports being issued. The passport service through the Minister's Department employed additional clerical officers last year to deal with the spike around summer time, which is understandable. All of those were let go before Christmas and now we are employing them again. I put it to the Minister that we have to prepare in a post-Brexit Ireland because the level of applications being submitted will continue to increase. Employing temporary clerical officers in the passport office, letting them go and continuing that cycle is not a long-term solution. The passport service needs to revisit the turnaround time issue and republish those because as we approach the summer months and the holiday period, thousands of holiday makers and people who wish to go on business trips will be disappointed, as we have seen already. Is there any movement towards employing those 230 additional clerical officers on a full-time basis, which is the basis on which they should be employed? I would support the Minister if that is what he is endeavouring to do.

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