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

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The passport service is successfully meeting high demand for passports and has issued more than 510,000 passports to date in 2023. All turnaround times are at their target level and more than half of all online adult renewals issue within two working days. The customer service hub is responding to an average of 15,000 queries per week.

I would like to highlight the efficiencies of the passport online service, which is by far the quickest way to apply for a passport. It is an award-winning online platform which places the Irish passport service among the most innovative in the world. Through the passport online service citizens also have the option of applying for a passport card, which is valid for travel to most EU countries as well as the UK.

The Passport Office offers an urgent appointment service in Dublin and Cork for passport renewal, with a one-day or four-day turnaround time in Dublin and a four-day turnaround time in Cork. There are almost 700 appointments available per week, which applicants can avail of using the online booking system. Due to the complex nature of first-time applications, it is not possible to process these as urgent appointments.

It is important to note that in the majority of situations where persons require an urgent appointment, their passport has expired and they only realise this close to their travel date. While every effort is made to provide a service for such circumstances, it must be done in a way that does not disrupt the service to those who have submitted in good time.

The passport service also has a dedicated team who expedite applications in cases of medical emergency or the death of a family member abroad, including for first-time applicants. Such requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be accompanied by sufficient supporting evidence of the emergency.

Paper applications do take longer and so there can be up to 30,000 paper applications in the system at any one time. This does lead to significantly more queries with paper applications compared with online which is much faster. It is only in cases of a life or death issue that a paper application for a passport can be prioritised.

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