Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an freagra chuimsitheach atá sé i ndiaidh a thabhairt dúinn. There is some glimmer of hope in what the Minister of State has said.The statistics he gave us are welcome. Thus far, by and large, information has been anecdotal and I know that because when I was a city councillor I had to deal with a vast number of passport applications that came through my office.

I pay tribute to and echo the Minister of State's positive remarks about the staff in the Passport Office. I agree with him that they are extremely professional. Recent events have put them under a huge burden but they have dealt with it very professionally. That said, the number of passport applications will not go away and will probably grow. We are in danger, despite the best efforts of staff, of facing a potential backlog. I have already heard from people across the North who are extremely worried that their applications are, understandably given the circumstances, somewhat lost in the system. We need to look at the matter. I am encouraged with the news that a review is under way. The online service is crucial and one that young people, in particular, will avail of in the time ahead. I would not lose sight of the potential assistance that an additional office could bring to the overall process. I am sure, given the cross-Broder nature of this matter, that the matter could be teased out and explored at the North-South Ministerial Council.

I note the point made that a financial burden would be placed on the Government. It is something that both the Government and the Executive could look at collectively in terms of trying to make this a reality. At the end of the day, the hope and aspiration is not only to franchise more people by supplying them with an Irish passport but to make the process easier and more accessible for the ordinary citizen.