Results 9,781-9,800 of 20,062 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: Something on photos could be put on the website. I know sitting against a wall with a mobile phone worked for me.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: On the question about the MLAs, or even the MPs because there is a smaller number of them so it would be more manageable, if MPs in the North could have that system-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I am referring to the phone-in system. Maybe elected representatives in the North could be allowed to deal with even ten or 20 applications to the Passport Office per week. Could that be done? The number of MPs is smaller than the number of MLAs. There are only 18 MPs in the North.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I know that, but we are in a crisis now with this. Mr. Conlan has heard what Deputy Carthy said. He lives in Ulster. He is an Ulster Deputy and his constituency office is servicing the nine counties of Ulster. There is a problem there. What I am asking Mr. Conlan is whether we can put in place a system or do something else to open up such a temporary service to the 18 MPs in the North....

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: Surely, in this day and age, we can do that. The applicants are Irish citizens.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I understand that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: A couple of new staff could come in, maybe, and the Department could train them up.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: What is the expected number of passports to be issued this year?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: It has about double.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: The number of staff has more than doubled.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: This tells us that the online system is not speeding it up. If, as the Deputy said, they were all being done by paper ten years ago and 500 million passports were issued by 400 staff, there are now 846 staff issuing roughly double the number this year.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: It would appear that there is something wrong.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I have some questions. Time is limited, so I will try to keep them concise and I ask the witnesses to try to do the same with their answers. Regarding the Garda verification of passports, I had a situation where a constituent had a passport application witnessed at the Garda station in Edenderry, which is a town of approximately 11,000 people. The person works in Dublin, as many people...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: That is okay. How much is the overall cost of the Passport Office every year?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: It is €35 million. I noticed passports brought in a similar figure.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: It is €53 million. It washes its own face. It pays for itself.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: On applying for renewal, someone's passport might be due to expire in June, but around St. Patrick's Day he or she will start thinking about these things. If someone's passport is not due to expire until June, can he or she apply for renewal in January or February?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I suggest the Passport Office advertise that. During the quiet months, when people are not travelling anywhere, that might be one way of dealing with it. In other words, the Passport Office would not get a huge spike at this time of year. It has started to slow down a little in the past couple of weeks, or at least I hope so. If it was advertised early in the year, or even over the winter...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I was nearly caught myself regarding a passport last year. I just copped it that day, but with the online turnaround I got the passport in three or four days.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (30 Jun 2022)

Brian Stanley: I could not believe it, but that was a simple renewal. I ask Ms Byrne to clarify whether it is €180 or €200 that is paid for urgent appointments.