Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Seanad Éireann: notes:

-the significant work done by the Passport Office and Department of Foreign Affairs through its network of Embassies and Consulates, to meet the demand for passports from Irish citizens throughout the world;

-the extraordinary demand for passports in recent times and the anticipated increased demand in the coming months;

-the complexity inherent in the delivery of a passport service, and the necessity to combine security and verification on the one hand, with efficiency and responsiveness on the other;

records its thanks:

-in particular, to the clerical and administrative staff, and all the workers in the Passport Service, here and throughout the world;

-to Irish citizens for their diligence and reasonableness in terms of understanding the exceptional circumstances and difficulties that have arisen in recent times due to the pandemic;

-to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his staff, the diplomatic and clerical staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and all civil servants, including members of An Garda Síochána, who have helped citizens of all types, ages and locations, to apply for, and obtain, new and renewed passports;

calls on the Government:

-to redouble its efforts to ensure that the Passport Service is functional, effective and efficient as the anticipated demand rises in 2022;

-to increase the number of administrative and managerial staff within the Passport Service to ensure that the delivery of passports is as fast and seamless as possible, with a goal of increasing the number of staff to 900;

-to implement a system whereby citizens can collect their passport from a Passport Service public office on request,in cases of emergency and urgent travel,where the passport will not be received in time for travel through the postal system;

-to engage in a public information campaign for all citizens to help them understand the process involved in applying for a new passport or passport renewal, and to outline the steps they must take to ensure that delivery of their passports can be effected without delay;

-to ensure that Irish citizens, wherever they may be, have the easiest possible access to the Passport Service;

and requests the Minister for Foreign Affairs:

-to consider alterations to the passport application process that could reduce bureaucracy;

-to consider options that will facilitate the identification of errors in the application in a timely manner allowing for the notification to the applicant of any errors so that they can be remedied quickly;

-to implement a system that allows for the fast processing of additional documents requested by the Passport Service, ensuring that applications that are incomplete are processed within three weeks once the required additional documents are submitted;

-to engage in a public education campaign providing video tutorials on the passport application process and revising the Passport Service website to make it more accessible and user-friendly, with a view to assisting citizens, particularly those with literary difficulties or disabilities, to correctly complete their application.”