Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, on the expanded office space, I have made the point previously that we need a physical passport office in the west. It is unfair for me to have to get somebody to travel to Dublin late on a Friday evening to collect a passport, as I had to do again last Friday. Surely in the context of new office space, that should be considered. We need an office somewhere central in the region.

Second, I thank the people in the unit. They have been incredibly helpful but they are under huge pressure.

However, in anticipation of that demand and its management, is it not time the Department or the Passport Office would, for instance, buy advertising space on airline booking sites to remind people to check their passports? We all know there are so many people who only check their passports when they go to check in online or maybe even when they are en route to the airport.

On the turnaround time for first-time passports, I accept the need for security checks but there are cases where it is running to months. That is not acceptable either. Surely we can reach a medium where there is an agreed turnaround time and that is delivered on.

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