Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends to pursue the establishment of an Irish passport office in Belfast; if so, when he will raise the matter with the relevant British authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35214/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has significantly enhanced the passport service available to citizens in Northern Ireland in recent years. This was achieved through the establishment in March 2003, initially on a pilot basis, of a passport express service operating from five post offices. The service has proved to be very successful and was extended to 40 post offices in April 2003. From January 2006, I expect that it will be available from over 60 post offices throughout Northern Ireland.

Given my particular ministerial responsibility in respect of Northern Ireland, I am naturally very pleased about this development. The effectiveness of the system will be reviewed periodically in the future, in consultation with interested parties. Such reviews could also consider the proposal which has been made in the past by the SDLP and Sinn Féin that a passport office might be opened in Northern Ireland.

I wish to confirm that recent newspaper reports of an imminent decision in this regard are erroneous and groundless.