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

My Department deals with tens of thousands of telephone calls. So far this year, the figure is some 90,000. I may stand corrected on this but, from memory, that is the approximate number. We have also set up an Oireachtas helpline for Members, which has dealt with thousands of calls. However, I take the Deputy's point. There is an issue with people applying for a first-time passport for a child, getting an estimated delivery date, booking holidays and then later finding there is a problem with the application. We are trying to address this by making sure the clock does not start again after applicants correct their paperwork or give the extra information needed. Instead, we now prioritise corrected applications for conclusion within 15 days, provided the new paperwork is correct. We made that change because of what Oireachtas Members have said to me in trying to improve the efficiency of the system. We are also trying to spot mistakes in applications a lot earlier to ensure that people do not find out about them weeks after they applied. This is an area in which we are improving turnaround times.

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