Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

She finally got it. I am very glad to hear that. Unfortunately, that is not the experience for hundreds, if not thousands, of other people, but I am certainly glad it is resolved for the Deputy Leader.

There was a very welcome motion on this issue from colleagues in Fine Gael a few weeks ago and a number of commitments were set out by the Government. However, we are not seeing a clear pathway out of this issue so it would be timely for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to come to the House to address it. We should have statements on the issues currently facing the Passport Office and, in particular, the issues currently facing its customers. I stress the word "customers", as people are paying for this service and some people are waiting over a year now. It is not a modest cost either to get a passport. I have full admiration for the work the staff are doing there under pressure, but this simply cannot go on. We must do something to address it.

The second issue I wish to raise is one in which the Deputy Leader will have an interest given her former role as chair of the Brexit committee. It is the denial to young people in the North of the ability to apply for the DiscoverEU programme. The DiscoverEU programme gave 35,000 18-year-olds across the European Union a one-month free interrail pass. Unfortunately, 18-year-olds from the Six Counties will not be able to apply for that. It is another stark denial of entitlements as a result of Brexit. This is something I hope to pursue via a Commencement matter, but I also wanted to raise it in the House. I hope the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, will respond practically in terms of assisting young people in the North to avail of what is a very positive and exciting programme.

Finally, like Senator Martin, I am conscious that tomorrow will see the opening of the polls in the election to the Assembly in the North. I will steer clear of making party political points because you will not let me, a Chathaoirligh.