Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important Commencement matter and welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to the House. I have a simple request that will help thousands of people. Will the Minister or the Department consider introducing an opt-in text message and email reminder service to notify passport holders when their passports are about to expire?The issue of passports going out of date has a very real impact on thousands of people every year. We have all heard stories from constituents who have spent months planning and saving for a family holiday only to arrive at the airport and discover that a passport has expired or just as importantly does not have sufficient validity remaining for travel to the destination, or else they figure this out a day or two before their holiday. Many countries now require passports to have at least six months' validity beyond the date of travel. People often assume that because the expiry date has not yet passed, they are free to travel but unfortunately that is not always the case and many discover this when it is too late. The result can be cancelled holidays, missed family occasions, lost business opportunities and thousands of euro in non-refundable flights and accommodation.

The passport service in Ireland is rightly regarded as one of the most efficient and best passport services in the world, turning over thousands of passports every year. We literally know the people in the Passport Office on a first name basis, given the number of calls we make to them.

Other countries, including I think America, have an opt-in text service to let people know when their password is about to expire. The Department already holds the contact details for passport applications, which are submitted when people apply. An automated voluntary reminder issued six months or even a year before a passport expires should not be a big thing to implement. It seems like a no-brainer. It would encourage timely renewals, reduce the number of emergency applications and give people peace of mind before travelling. I imagine it would save a lot of headaches for the people working in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is a practical and low-cost initiative that would improve customer service and help to prevent avoidable disruption for families, business travellers, students and older people visiting loved ones abroad. I therefore ask the Minister to examine the feasibility of introducing an opt-in passport reminder service and engage with the passport service on how long it would take to implement such a system. Sometimes the simplest changes have the greatest impact and I believe this one of those occasions.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising the matter this morning. At the beginning it is important to thank the staff in the Passport Office both in Dublin and Cork for their courtesy, professionalism and patience. I also thank the staff in the Minister, Deputy McEntee's, office. As the Senator rightly said, the most frustrating part of the summer season is the demand for passports as many of our fellow citizens prepare to travel. It can happen that people suddenly discover the passport is out of date or not in order, which leads to panic. I would strongly support the Senator's suggestion.

As the Senator knows, the Government has invested considerably in modernising, improving and protecting the Irish passport, along with the environment and systems that underpin service delivery for citizens. The passport service continually works to enhance the service and provide efficiencies for customers under the passport reform programme.

The passport service, and indeed the Ministers in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, take every opportunity, as we do this morning, to remind citizens to check their passport validity. Each year the passport service proactively plans for the demand forecasted for the year ahead. Part of this involves an extensive public communications campaign to encourage citizens to apply, through passport online, in plenty of time for their passport prior to travel. This year's campaign focused on driving awareness among citizens, particularly parents of newborns - as we know getting a first passport is a very lengthy process - and young children, that passport online is the fastest, easiest and most cost-effective way to apply for a passport. In recent years, the successful campaign in December and January has been highly effective in motivating citizens to apply in the early part of the year, well ahead of the busy summer travel season. The passport online service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is available to citizens all over the world. The advice this morning is for people to check their passport well in advance of travel.

The passport service's programme of reform will continue throughout 2026 and next year, with the delivery of several highly complex and transformational projects that are necessary to future-proof service delivery, enhance the customer experience, ensure business continuity, and safeguard the integrity of the passport. As we have said, the Irish passport is a very cherished document. Successful delivery of these projects will ensure that Ireland remains at the forefront of passport processing worldwide.

Last Friday, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched a redesigned and modernised new Irish passport book and card. This project has also encompassed the replacement of high-security printing machinery required for passport personalisation. Along with other upgrades to the passport service's systems, next year citizens applying for a passport for the first time or renewing their passport will be able to opt in to receive electronic communications, including passport expiry reminder notices, from the passport service. This service will be opt-in for several reasons. The Department has a statutory obligation from a data protection perspective to only use personal data, which may include home addresses or email addresses where it is satisfied the data is accurate and up to date. It would, therefore, be precluded from automatically using addresses used for the dispatch of passports ten years ago. Unlike car tax or travel insurance, adult passports expire after ten years and individuals’ circumstances or contact details may have changed in the interim.

I hope the point the Senator made was encompassed in that. It is important that people get a reminder and a prompt. As she rightly said, it is about making it easier for people to get access to what is a cherished document. In particular, I would be all for making it easier for first-time applicants, mainly children.

I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I also thank the Passport Office staff who do extraordinary work in very pressurised circumstances. We are all genuinely beholden to them and we send them our best wishes.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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There is a happy Senator.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and I also thank a friend of mine, Philip Quinlan, who brought this to my attention. I am really delighted to see that we are going to have an opt-in service for passports starting next year, which is my understanding of what the Minister of State just said. Therefore, there will be an opt-in. I take the point that people might change address or contact details within ten years and possibly there could be something going forward. It seems we are being encouraged to log into the mygov.ie system and maybe passports could be linked in there in the future. We are being encouraged to go in there and complete surveys and do lots of different things. Maybe that could be a way of reminding people.

We are used to getting reminders from doctors now. I have to get a horrible root canal procedure done and I have received two text messages this week to remind me to go there tomorrow. We are all used to getting these reminders and it is something normal. I thank the Minister of State for being here and I thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for her work in this space. I am delighted that there will be an opt-in service so that people will be reminded about their passports from next year onwards. That is great news.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Senator rightly said, passports are an important issue for not just Members of the Oireachtas but for citizens as well. As we are in the summer holiday period, it is important to reiterate the message about applying for the passport in time. As I said, as part of the passport reform programme, an opt-in passport reminder will be introduced next year. This will allow all citizens renewing or applying for a passport to opt in to receive electronic passport expiry reminders. I encourage anybody listening or watching at home if they are travelling abroad, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of the passport before booking travel and to apply online and in plenty of time. Passport online is the best option for all of our citizens. It is the quickest, most convenient and most cost-effective way to apply for passports. I encourage everybody watching and listening to apply online and to make sure their passport is in order. I thank the Senator for raising the matter this morning.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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It is lovely to get a Minister of State finishing the final Commencement matter with good news.