Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá sé sin iontach spéisiúil. I do not disagree with most of what the Minister of State said. The passport service is first class. The staff in the post office network and in the passport office provide an immensely worthwhile service for citizens right across the State. I am disappointed that the associated cost is seen as a reason for not locating the service in the North. The Minister of State cited €1.7 million as the cost for the print facility but I am sure all 82,274 people who applied for a new and renewed passport paid for the service so I do not believe cost is necessarily the best case to make. This is about investment, future planning and meeting a clearly identifiable need. In the broader political context, which we cannot ignore, this is about saying to Irish citizens north of the Border that we are investing in them and we see them as part of the life of this State and this country overall and we will meet the need with a service delivery to which they are entitled. While I agree that the service at this stage is first class, as the Minister of State rightly outlined, there is a growing demand which I expect will continue to grow. The very broad political call for this service will not go away.