Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I listened with interest to the Commencement debate earlier.A pertinent matter was raised by Senator Warfield on passport applications for children of same-sex couples abroad. It was very important and I really hope that issue can be resolved. It led me to the idea that we really need a debate in the House on the passport system and the future of the passport system for a couple of other serious reasons as well as the reasons raised by Senator Warfield this afternoon.

First and foremost, regardless of what happens in the next period of fewer than 50 days, Brexit is coming. We have already seen tens of thousands of people in the UK and farther afield take the opportunity to seize Irish citizenship and apply for a passport. The numbers of those applying to the Irish Embassy in Britain have multiplied every year-on-year. We have serious questions to ask about the capacity of the passport service to meet these demands. The passport service, much to the credit of the Ministers and officials working there, has vastly and greatly improved in recent years with the rapid online system and improvements in many others processing areas. However, I have fears in respect of the capacity and I believe it is our absolute responsibility to meet the demand with a proper information campaign for the Irish diaspora. This is something Senators Lawless and Ó Donnghaile have worked hard on, whether in the US or the North, to ensure those who are Irish citizens know their entitlements, the processes and procedures and their rights. We should ensure the process is met in the most speedy and proper manner.