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

I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the performance of the Passport Office and the passport service.

The passport service has issued more than 625,000 passports this year. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times with the majority of adult online renewal applications issuing within two working days. There currently no backlogs and 95% of applicants apply through passport online. The passport service is well-staffed to meet the current level of demand. In terms of the specific numbers requested by the Deputy, 169 applications are with the passport service for more than three months, 85 applications are with the passport service for more than six months, and 65 applications are with the passport service for more than 12 months. This makes a total of 319 applications that have been with the passport service for more than three months. These are complex or sensitive cases that may involve citizenship, guardianship or legal issues. These require thorough examination by experienced staff and can take longer to process. There are often multiple interactions between the passport service and the applicant or their guardians during this time, as well as with other Departments and agencies if required. These complex cases are dealt with by a dedicated case officer and are prioritised for processing once the application is complete.

There are in addition more than 25,000 applications in the system for three months or more that require action from the applicant. Once the applicant has submitted their application online, they may still be required to submit supporting documentation to complete their application. The passport service issues more than 2,500 emails per week to remind applicants to submit their documents.

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