Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the insistence by some countries that a passport is valid only if they are more than six months to the expiry date, he will arrange to adjust the passport fee to reflect the fact that passport holders must now apply for passports more than six months before the expiry date. [6787/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Irish passports are normally issued with up to ten years validity, though there are variations relating to the age of the applicant.

For travel to other EU member states, no minimum validity is required and the holder can travel on his or her passport up to its final day of validity. As regards non-EU countries, states impose varying immigration-visa regulations, including having a specific period of validity on one's passport.

It is a matter of regret that persons may, in some instances, have to change their passports with up to six months validity remaining. However, it would in my view impose an unreasonable and disproportionate administrative burden on the Passport Office to introduce a special regime in such cases. This would also include separating out a proposed new fee dimension for the above category, as distinct from changes for other purposes, for example, name change, damaged passport, etc., and for which the standard fee would be charged. Since my decision of 1 August 2005, passports for persons aged 65 and over are issued completely free of charge.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the fact that no fee is charged for passports issued to persons aged over 65 years he will consider the position of persons who are close to the age of 65 and who are charged the full fee; his views on including in the three years passport category, persons who are aged 62-65 and including in the five year passport category, persons who are aged 60-62; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6788/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The waiving of the passport fee for senior citizens, which I introduced with effect from 1 August last, was to further recognise the life-long contribution to society of our senior citizens. It builds on the existing free public transport, TV licence, telephone and electricity schemes for older people. All these schemes operate on the basis that they are available to those who have reached the required age.

In addition to the above, infants up to age three are issued with a three-year passport, and minors aged between three and 17 years are issued with a five-year passport. I believe all these arrangements are fair and innovative and, given the huge administrative burden on the Passport Office, some 750,000 passports are likely to be issued in 2006, I do not consider it reasonable or desirable to consider introducing further categories of fees at this time.