Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our guests are very welcome to the Chamber. It is nice to share it with the public again.

I want to raise passports and menopause. The front page of the Irish Independent today tells us that 40% of passport delays are due to errors. While I accept that there are errors, we must also accept that some delays are not related to errors but are partly due to the enormous volume of passport applications. A huge amount of work is being done by the Passport Office and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to overcome the delays. Adult passport renewals are being processed speedily but when it comes to children's first-time or renewals, there can be delays. What can we do to communicate with people who have holidays booked and who are afraid that they will not get their passports on time? If people have applied for the wrong passport, whether that be for a renewal instead of a first-time passport or vice versa, is there a way to ensure they do not have to start the process all over again when this is identified? Sometimes these issues are not being flagged until a passport is about to be issued and then the applicant has to start all over again. Communication and early detection of issues is key. People who are living in the North do not have ready access to passport service appointments. It is €150 for such appointments, which are available in Dublin and Cork.There is nowhere near the North where appointments are available. I suggest we open a passport office in the north west.

There was a programme about menopause on RTÉ last night. If ever there was an example of women being expected to get on with things, it is the menopause. There is more awareness now but still not enough. It is a red flag when someone suggests women should not accept the first answer they get and that women must go and seek answers for menopause. It is about awareness and affordability. It is also about access to the drugs or hormones that people need. I am quoting my colleague, Councillor Anna Grainger, when I say there should be a champion in every workplace. Let this Chamber be a champion for this issue. I know that Councillor Grainger is such a champion.