Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A total of 446,383 online applications were received between 30 March 2017, when the service was launched, and 31 March 2019. The total number of applications of all types received in the same period was slightly more than 1.7 million. A total of almost 148,000 online applications have been received since the expansion of the online service on 28 November. The total number of applicants received in that period was 240,000. We are now seeing comfortably more than half of renewals happening online, which makes a significant difference in terms of efficiency.

When I was the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, my Department was trying to shift Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, applications online. Many people said it could not be done as applicants would not have the broadband links to be able to make the applications and so on. All such applications are now made online and that is where we want to go with passports. However, we must do so in a phased way to ensure that people are comfortable doing it and there are information campaigns to reassure people and give clear instruction on how to apply. In the meantime, we have an efficient postal process, but I encourage people to consider the online system because it helps everybody.

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