Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I strongly support the call of Senator Fitzgerald and others that we would hear from the Minister today in regard to the situation that has arisen in the Passport Office. We are all aware that the system cannot cope with this backlog of 40,000 applications and, as a result, we have an emergency situation.

The right of the citizen to a passport is an entitlement, not a privilege. We are interfering with the citizen's constitutional right to travel. There is ministerial responsibility on this issue, as there has to be. I understand the Minister has the power to issue emergency travel certificates for anyone whose passport is out of date or who does not have the necessary passport at this time. We know there are 40,000 people without passports and needing to travel. The Minister must put in place immediately a mechanism to allow for the issuance of such documentation to allow citizens the right to travel freely, a right which is constitutionally guaranteed. We must hear the Minister today and these certificates must be issued immediately to end the growing deep frustration which is not a situation we want to see on our streets. As Senator O'Toole and others have said, there are other issues involved and these must be dealt with but I ask the Leader to bring the Minister to the House today to have this out among ourselves and get it sorted.