Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 1034: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in instances whereby passport applicants will reach the age of 65 prior to the expiration of their 10 year passport, provision may be made for the issuance of a passport with a shorter period of validity and an accordingly reduced application fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1276/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Perhaps I should first set out the background. In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This was warmly welcomed at the time.

The reality now is that, if this attractive scheme is to work satisfactorily, there clearly has to be a fixed starting date and fixed qualifications for persons to benefit under it. In addition, and unless a passport holder has immediate travel plans, new passports do not have to be applied for on, or be valid from, the date when the previous passport expired. A person approaching 65 years may well wish, therefore, to wait until he or she reaches that age and then apply for a free passport.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 1035: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will allow five year passports from age 60 on, as the €70 10 year requirement places a heavy and unreasonable cost on this age group who at age 65 will be entitled to a free passport. [1277/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Perhaps I should first set out the background. In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This was warmly welcomed at the time.

The reality now is that, if this attractive scheme is to work satisfactorily, there clearly has to be a fixed starting date and fixed qualifications for persons to benefit under it. In addition, and unless a passport holder has immediate travel plans, new passports do not have to be applied for on, or be valid from, the date when the previous passport expired. A person approaching 65 years may well wish, therefore, to wait until he or she reaches that age and then apply for a free passport.