John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who is unable to be here today. I thank Senator Jerry Buttimer, who does a wonderful job representing his local area of Cork, for this important question.

This is a peak season for the passport service. The total number of applications received during the first four months of this year rose by 10% compared to the same period last year and by 25% compared to two years ago. There are several drivers of demand, including a trend towards early renewal of passports, the growth in outbound travel and the growing population, to which the Senator alluded. The passport service, located in the Department, is one unified service composed of three constituent offices on Mount Street in Dublin, Balbriggan in County Dublin and South Mall in Cork, respectively. The public offices in Mount Street and Cork accept applications from all categories of applicants by appointment at their public counters. Where appropriate, these offices also facilitate the issuance of emergency passports where there is a need to travel for medical reasons or due to bereavement abroad. Applications from across Ireland, Great Britain and through Ireland's network of embassies and consulates worldwide are distributed for processing across the three passport offices. Resources are allocated on the basis of an assessment of demand, in line with the passport service's targeted processing dates. Both Passport Express and online applications are sent back to the applicant based in Ireland with a next-day delivery service. Therefore, wherever applications for passports are processed, Irish residents will receive their passports within the same timeframe.

The passport service operates these three passport printing machines. Two are located in our main production facility in Balbriggan and one is located in the passport office on Mount Street. All applications are processed through the centralised, automated passport service, APS. This means that all production facilities can print the passport, irrespective of which channel the application was processed through. The printing system allows for flexibility between printing machines if any machine reaches capacity. Where pressures arise in the processing system, they are generally associated with the necessary checking and verification process which must be followed to ensure the integrity of the Irish passport and which cannot be compromised. Given the scale of the passport service's investment in specialised and efficient machinery, we have sufficient resources to meet the technological requirements of passport production.

Passport printing and the personalisation of each passport requires highly specialised machinery, auxiliary equipment and a temperature controlled environment. The purchase cost of a new passport printing machine alone is in excess of €1.7 million. This does not include the cost of security, technical costs, outfitting, staffing and rental. Prior to installing any additional printing facility, we would have to consider the physical suitability of any building and the suitability of the location to cater for the installation of such a specialised machine, physical security considerations and the availability of maintenance services. Any such production facility would incur costs above and beyond the purchase of the machine itself and would include security, support and maintenance charges. Given that the current three printing machines meet the passport service's printing demands and have additional capacity, and given the costs and requirements associated with the purchase and support of a new machine, I do not believe that, right now, there is justification on a value for money or operational basis to purchase an additional printing machine.