Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When a debate of this nature occurs in the House it is due to a failure of a State service to deliver the service people expect. Whether that is medical cards, access to services for people with disabilities or older people, or, in this case, passports, the issue is an important one. It is sometimes thought that access to a passport or travel is a frivolity or luxury and other issues are treated more seriously. We should not judge the reasons people want a passport. People are entitled to apply for a State service and to have it provided in a reasonable period of time. That we are having these statements demonstrates that the Department of Foreign Affairs has failed to do that. There could be very valid reasons for that failure but we must acknowledge it. I say that because statements were made again this week that suggested there was nothing to see here, there was no problem or backlog and that, actually, in 40% of cases, the problem lies with others and is not our problem. I know that is not exactly what was said but it what many people heard. Of course there is a problem in the Passport Office. That is why it has been given additional resources. Of course there are issues. That is why every single Member of this House is being contacted about this.

The second issue we need to tackle is the view that Teachtaí Dála like being involved in the passport process because it somehow allows them to curry favour with their constituents and it is some sort of electoral trick to make us seem more relevant. As one member of my parliamentary party said, he did not get elected to the democratic Chamber of this country to process passports on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs. I think every Member of this House will agree with me on that. We want and should try to be constructive. In the first instance, the Government should help the Department by providing additional resources. I am pleased the Minister of State has outlined that it will do so, and it is welcome. Second, Deputies have first-hand experience of this, having been contacted by people, and we want to pass on some of that experience in order that innovations and changes can be made.

The most egregious failure was the return of first-time registration passport applications that had exceeded the six-month waiting period. Late last year and early this year, some people's applications were not processed within six months, resulting in the application form being returned to them. It is unacceptable that someone has an application returned for no other reason than the ability of the Passport Office to issue his or her passport.

There is the matter of the issue date. We have heard much talk about renaming things when it comes to passports. We should rename the "issue date" the "first time checked" date because that is the date on which the application is checked for the first time. Of course there will be issues with passports but if we only check the application for the first time when we tell people we are going to issue the passport, we are not going to discover the problems with the application until it is too late. If someone is told the issue date is going to be 31 May, it is reasonable for that person to make travel plans for that date. The issue date we all get on the tracker is not the issue date but the first-time checking date. We should be honest with people about that.

Of course there will be issues with passport applications. Issues related to photographs are the most frustrating because the website will indicate a photograph has been accepted and it subsequently turns out it has not been accepted. It is difficult for applicants to find out what the problem is or to engage in any meaningful way with the Passport Office to identify the problems and try to get them solved.

One of the biggest frustrations is the contact with witnesses. Some work has been done with the Garda to try to improve this. Outside Ireland we allow other people to witness first-time passport applications. In the North, for example, many people use their local priest, school principal, school secretary and so on. We do not allow that in the Republic. Perhaps that is one way of resolving the backlog in the Passport Office. Gardaí have enough to do, as do Teachtaí Dála, without processing passports.

It is difficult for people to use the web chat facility. It does not really function, if I am honest. There is no meaningful interaction and it needs to be improved.

There is also an issue with the return of documents. When parents apply for a child's passport they are obviously travelling together because the child is clearly underage and not in a position to travel alone. However, the issue date and the return of document dates are different. We need to be clearer with people about that. It is a service failure not to point that out and very frustrating in some ways. I had such a case this week. A passport was kindly issued to a child on time and we were able to get it but the passports of the child's parents, who live in my constituency and applied through the Passport Office in Balbriggan, were sent to Cork for redistribution. The parents had to travel to Cork to get the passports so the family could travel together. It is very difficult to explain to members of the public how that is a sensible process. Perhaps it would be sensible and more efficient if people had ample time and the luxury of having a couple of days spare for it to be transported. However, when a passport is crucial and the child and parents are clearly going to need to travel together, we need to find a different way of doing it.

I return to the point about communications. If we get these communications right and we are able to communicate more clearly, people in stressful situations will be less stressed and anxious and will ring fewer Teachtaí Dála. Having six or seven Deputies call about one application must be so frustrating but it is happening for a reason. I urge the Minister of State to adopt some of the good ideas and innovations this House is bringing forward, not in a defensive way but to help improve the system.

See this speech in context