Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have said a number of times that when the passport service works well, it works very well. That is the experience for many people. I know a lot of people who have applied, particularly for passport renewals, who have actually been surprised at the speed at which their passport has arrived in their letterboxes. That is an absolute credit and testament to the staff and the operation that is in place.

The issue is that when problems arise they can be devastating. They can result in families missing holidays that have been long-planned or people missing weddings or other important life moments. We still always need to endeavour to ensure we have a system that is as close to perfect as possible.

In December 2021 the House was told that staffing levels in the passport service would actually rise to 920 by January 2022. The Tánaiste has indicated the current staffing level is 830, with an additional 18 being brought on board. Has the target of 920 been abandoned? There was no reference to it. What is the staffing level target within the Passport Office?

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