Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications for passports from counties Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and Louth, respectively, that are currently outstanding; the planning that is being carried out to ensure there is no repeat of the delays experienced in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3641/22]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I know the Minister dealt with this issue earlier in response to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, but there is a need for proactivity at this stage of the year in relation to passport supply and what is likely to be a very large demand for passports and passport renewals this year. That proactivity might save an awful lot of trouble for many people down the line.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very aware of the pressures in relation to passports. Many people in this House have come to me directly on individual cases. We have also set up an Oireachtas support line that can help staff in Deputies' offices to deal with cases when they emerge.

This month we will have more than 100,000 passport applications to deal with, and this year we are planning for a possible 1.7 million passport applications. Just to put that into context, we have never hit 1 million applications before. Even at the height of travel before Covid, it was less than 1 million per year. Given that many families simply have not even thought about travel for the past two years and therefore may not have thought about passport renewal, we expect a dramatic increase. That is why we are investing significantly in more staff. By the end of March we will have approximately 1,000 people working in the Passport Office. That compares with approximately 465 in the middle of last summer. We also have extra footprint as well in terms of more office space.

As of Wednesday of this week, the Passport Office is operating as normal, with Covid restrictions having been removed. That will lead to a lot more opportunities for people who need urgent meetings with the Passport Office to get rapid turnaround times for passports. We are working hard in anticipation of what is already happening, which is a significant increase in the demand for passport renewals and for first-time passports. First-time applications, particularly for children, take longer to process because of security issues. We must ensure we address fraud, especially for first-time applicants. We have good systems in place in that regard but they do take a bit longer and the application process is more complicated in terms of the forms that must be provided with the online application. We are working hard to try to improve turnaround times for first-time applications as well.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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First, on the expanded office space, I have made the point previously that we need a physical passport office in the west. It is unfair for me to have to get somebody to travel to Dublin late on a Friday evening to collect a passport, as I had to do again last Friday. Surely in the context of new office space, that should be considered. We need an office somewhere central in the region.

Second, I thank the people in the unit. They have been incredibly helpful but they are under huge pressure.

However, in anticipation of that demand and its management, is it not time the Department or the Passport Office would, for instance, buy advertising space on airline booking sites to remind people to check their passports? We all know there are so many people who only check their passports when they go to check in online or maybe even when they are en route to the airport.

On the turnaround time for first-time passports, I accept the need for security checks but there are cases where it is running to months. That is not acceptable either. Surely we can reach a medium where there is an agreed turnaround time and that is delivered on.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On advertising, I hope the Deputy has noticed the campaign that has been very active during January to get people to check their passports. We have ads in newspapers and on radio to encourage people to check their passports early if they are planning to travel this year so that we can try to get as many applications in as early as we can for travel, predominantly over the summer months. I am sure there will also be travel over the mid-term and Easter too. We have an advertising campaign and I will feed back the Deputy's suggestion about airline sites.

The official turnaround time for first-time passports is 40 working days. We are going to try to bring that down significantly. However, many of the first-time applications that get stuck in the system are not always stuck because of delays on the Department's side. We are often waiting for forms, whether identity forms or security-based forms. We are working on that.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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On the advertising campaign, the lotto campaign says it could be you, but when it comes to passports, it never is you until it actually happens. People probably laugh about this until they have done it themselves. I am sure it has happened to all of us. If, when you book and you are putting in your card details, there was a prompt that said "Is your passport in date?", that would do it. We need turnaround times people can see that are actually real. Again, I ask the Minister to consider a passport centre in the west. It is unfair we have to do those journeys. The advertising campaign is welcome but it is particularly pushing the online service. Let us get back to pushing the post office side of it again.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I congratulate the Department on renewals for existing passport holders. The office is very efficient. Would it be possible to arrange a direct relationship for newborn infants to shorten the time families have to wait? If the register of births certifies that somebody is a newborn infant, that should be enough and it should be able to fast-track the 40 days the Minister is talking about. It is unfair on parents who have a newborn infant to face delays they cannot accept.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to delays in passports in Carlow and Kilkenny. There are concerns, as others have said. When someone applies for a passport, one wrong tick can mean the application goes right back to the start. I know the staff are working very hard but I would ask that a system be put in place so that a small issue that can be addressed is addressed.

There have been loads of delays in my own area, including people who were unable to attend funerals and one family where two people could travel and one could not. I know that is being addressed. I seek clarity on the 1,000 new staff the Minister mentioned. How are they being recruited and what is happening? The last time we were here the Minister said 80 additional staff had been recruited. I want to know more. I welcome the recruitment of 1,000 staff; I am delighted. Can we have an update? I know the Passport Office is doing its best.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Deputies have come in with so many questions. The Minister still has only one minute to respond.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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If I can just correct the record, we are not taking on 1,000 new staff. What I said was that by the end of March we hope to have about 900 staff in the Passport Office. We currently have about 770. The context of that is we had about 467 in the middle of last summer, so the staff numbers are almost doubling.

On first-time passports, I emphasise we have to make sure the integrity of the system is protected and we have robust processes in place to protect the integrity of the system against fraud, potential child abduction or any of the things we are expected to protect it against. We have very good anti-fraud systems in the passport system. However, as a result of that and the systems that are in place, we do need extra paperwork in terms of documentation from applicants who are applying online or offline for children.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are way over time.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Despite of all of that, we still think we can get turnaround times down significantly. From 40 days, I would like to bring it to closer to 20 working days if we can.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Thank you, Minister.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We are working on that. The communications between the applicant and the Department are essential.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Thank you. I am moving on to the next question. Before I do, there are at least five speakers so I ask for co-operation from all sides.