Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept that, but that will not be the majority of cases. That will be a small number of cases.

A significant number of issues have been put forward in the debate. I have no doubt but that the passport service will take into account all those issues and all the really good suggestions that have been made.

I agree with Deputy Paul Murphy that we should not have to do this on behalf of our constituents. Sometimes I see people complain about Deputies raising issues, but it is absolutely essential that when issues or problems arise, people are able to communicate with their local Deputies, who can then not just help resolve the individual case but try to get changes to the whole system, which I think is what everybody has been trying to do here. I fully agree that we should not be some sort of extension of the Passport Office. That is not what we want. That situation did pertain in certain counties for many generations. Deputy Pringle's county was notorious for it. People there would almost go to their local Deputy's office before going to a passport office. We do not want to get to that stage. I have seen some representations come in where it is clear that people have applied for passports and then maybe rung Deputies almost immediately. There is no need to do that. The more Deputies in the constituency one rings, the more people have to answer the phones in the Passport Office. If people want to ring their Deputies, that is their entitlement, and they should do it and I encourage it, but the more people they ring and the more phone calls that are made, perhaps the less it helps the system in the background. We are trying to get a reasonable balance, all the while trying to improve the system.

As for staffing, recruitment has been going on for the past year. I think I am correct in saying that it is not always easy to get people in the current environment. The training has been required and it is happening. We cannot just land people straight off recruitment into the Passport Office. I know individuals who did temporary clerical officer work for years in Balbriggan. They are people who live locally to me. Many of them have just got full-time jobs because of the temporary jobs. I am really grateful to people who do that work.

As to what will happen with the Oireachtas line, it is currently limited to 20 calls a week. That is only a question of staffing. What is being worked on at present is that there will be an online hub where Deputies should be able to get information on behalf of constituents much more efficiently, but it will be done online. That will come in in the next few months. It will mean that Deputies will be able to do more than 20 queries but they will not necessarily be phone calls. That will make it easier for staff and make the system more efficient. The Minister is not directly responsible, and I am not trying to run away from this as I am part of this Government, but I know that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, will be listening carefully to what has been said here.

There were a lot of thanks for the staff of the Passport Office and how friendly and professional they are. I know that the director beside me will pass that on. We have heard this in a non-defensive way and in a way that seeks to give the best possible public services. I completely agree with Deputy Ó Cuív that we want to be number one, not second best, in everything. There are comparable jurisdictions. Other countries are having a problem. We are not part of the Shengen area, so if we want to go on our holidays, we by and large have to have a passport if we are leaving the island.

Deputy Canney raised an important point that I will undertake to raise with Ryanair, although I believe that conversation has been had before. We have all told people that if they changed to Aer Lingus, they would be able to go to Britain at least because Aer Lingus will not require a passport for that because of the common travel area rules. A passport should not be required in the common travel area. That is why it is there.

I thank Members. I have no doubt but that the foreign affairs committee or whoever else will pursue this. I certainly will within the Department, and I will give a full report to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, of what was said today in order that he can bring this forward for further action at Government level.

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