Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is correct about the extraordinary work that is now going on within the Passport Office. Passport service staff numbers have increased by more than 300 since June 2021. There is a competition under way at the moment which, when completed, will see staffing numbers of 900. That is a doubling of staff numbers since last summer. It is engaging in intensive training and so on. In excess of 400,000 passports have been issued since 1 January. That is compared with a total of 634,000 passports issued in the entire 12 months of 2021. It is experiencing a very high volume of applications. Last week the passport service reduced the processing time for first-time applications from 35 working days to 30 working days. That follows an initial reduction from 40 working days. Progress is being made but I will take what the Deputy said back to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. We are very concerned about it and conscious of it.

In response to Deputy O'Donnell, the Minister for Health is engaging with the HSE in respect of the challenges at University Hospital Limerick. We will do everything we can to progress the capital works at the hospital and in health generally.

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