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

I appreciate the Deputy's comments on the staff in the passport service. We now have 763 people working in the service, which is the largest number ever employed. We are committed to maintaining and improving that level, if we can.

The Deputy is correct. There are issues relating to the role of An Garda Síochána, which is an essential part of the verification process. There are certain passport applications that require forms to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. We appreciate the work of An Garda Síochána in that respect. It is a vital element in terms of the identity and consent verification process for the passport service.

During the peak period for passport demand in 2022, a system was established between the passport service and An Garda Síochána to verify applications in cases where the Garda signature could not be verified by calling the Garda station. This new system assisted in reducing the number of applications that were delayed due to a failure to verify witness details. During the busiest summer months, an average of 15 applications per day were verified in this manner. We are constantly looking at ways to innovate, improve and make the system more effective.

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