John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I said "the Minister"; I did not say "the Minister of State". This is a blatantly obvious attempt to deflect from the bigger problems with the forms and the online process. Even the Minister's Government colleague, the Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, Deputy Varadkar, is prepared to concede that by pointing out it is obvious that if 40% of forms are being filled out incorrectly, the problem is with the forms and not the applicants. The reality is the whole process needs to be dragged right into the 21st century. Online processes are supposed to make people's lives easier and not drag them right into the pit of despair.

I will also make the point that I have previously met with staff from the Passport Office and have been very impressed with their dedication, professionalism and commitment to the service. I do not blame them because they are stretched and are working extremely hard to deal with a very difficult situation. I am aware that they worked right around the clock through lockdown to try to deal with the backlog of applications during that entire period. The reality is they have to endure a complete failure in leadership from the Minister.

The buck stops with him, yet he has again failed to provide the necessary leadership and direction to ensure the efficient delivery of a major and critical Government service.

The primary delays centre around first-time applicants and applications for children's passports, which often require the provision of additional documentation. These delays extend to the foreign births registration system, where a large number of people are left waiting years to have their applications processed.

The problems surrounding passport applications have been so well documented that it is difficult to believe it is only now that the Minister is ready to respond. Even the Office of the Ombudsman felt compelled to offer criticism of the delays being experienced by applicants, describing the situation as unacceptable and stating that it would continue to monitor matters.

The number of applications from overseas has been growing considerably since Brexit, something that should have been expected and planned for. For the first time ever, this year saw more applications in the North for Irish passports than British ones. What more evidence is needed for the argument to open a passport office in the North? This idea needs to be pursued actively.

We have once again witnessed the Minister's failure to respond to another development that has placed further strain on a system that, as has been clearly established, is dysfunctional. The time to act has passed. Families will be left in despair. We need more and swifter action to ensure that more families get passports as quickly as they deserve.

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