Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo linn ar maidin leis an ábhar seo a phléigh. Tá fáilte roimhe. Tá a fhios agam, óna ról mar chathaoirleach ar choiste Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, go bhfuil sé eolach faoina lán cúrsaí ó Thuaidh, cuid de rudaí agus an cineál ráchairte a bheadh ansin ó thaobh na mbásanna agus an idirghníomh polaitíochta anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath.

I thank the Minister of State for being with us this morning to address this somewhat modest and sensible request for the Department to examine the current provision for passport office facilities in the North. We know anecdotally - I hope to know more factually via a question to the Minister - that there is a very high or significant demand for Irish passports. There are a large number of passport applications from the North. The number has risen quite starkly in more recent times because of the Brexit result. In the constituency I represented for five years in Belfast City Council, which is probably one of the most loyal of all loyalist constituencies, I am proud to say the post office on the Newtownards Road actually ran out of Irish passport application forms. That tells us something. Community organisations, business leaders and politicians have been calling for a long time for the Department to consider locating a passport office in the North, preferably in Belfast. This has been expedited as a result of the Brexit vote. It would meet the needs of people, particularly those who apply under pressure or in emergency situations, who because of family or economic circumstances may not be able to avail of a day travelling down to Dublin and spending the day there waiting to collect a passport to bring back up the road. It is something I am sure the Minister of State will accept in the spirit in which it is requested. I look forward to hearing about it and working with the Minister of State, his colleagues and his officials in the Department to bring it about.