John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of passports. I hoped that we would not have to raise this issue this year, given the significant resources that Government put into the Passport Office last year. While many get an exceptionally efficient service, particularly with online applications for renewals, it has to be said that there are still issues with paper-based applications through An Post. A person making an application has to wait at least eight weeks for it to be checked. If a person made a mistake – we all make mistakes, we are all human – and, for example, there is an issue with the photo or an address, we are now being told that when that information goes back in, that person goes back into a list for another eight weeks. Last year when this issue cropped up, we were assured that in lieu of the fact that a person had already been waiting eight weeks, it would just go into a three-week queue on the basis of when the additional information was submitted. However, now we are being told that the person goes back to the start again and waits a further eight weeks. We need to have a debate on this issue. None of us in this House wants to spend the entire summer dealing with the chaos of people contacting our office. If there is an issue where something is identified, people should not go back to the start.

There are still many people who use the An Post paper-based system. Of course, we encourage people to use the online system because it is a more efficient way. However, people still use the paper-based system and they are being put at a serious disadvantage, particularly if there is an issue. I ask that we have a debate on this issue as early as possible please.