Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the difficulties being experienced by Irish citizens abroad anxious to renew their passports due to the closing down for long periods of the website for the Irish Embassy Offices in Ottawa; his further views on that fact that Irish citizens abroad have expressed annoyance at the inconvenience caused by what they suggest was the failure to notify widely the fact that the consulate in Toronto had moved address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22148/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may be aware that my Department recently launched an upgraded website (www.dfa.ie) and the Department is currently upgrading the websites of all our Missions throughout the world. A number of these upgraded Embassy websites are already live, such as those for our Embassies in Paris (www.embassyofireland.fr) and in Berlin (www.embassyofireland.de).

The upgrade of the website for the Embassy in Ottawa is a priority and will result in a significantly enhanced service to Irish citizens in that country. In the meantime, although the Embassy's website is under construction, the Embassy's contact details and opening hours are available on its homepage. Contact details for the Embassy and for our network of Honorary Consuls across Canada are also available on the Department's main website.

For security reasons, passport applications cannot be made online. Irish citizens in Canada wishing to renew their passports should make direct contact with the Embassy in Ottawa. Once a passport application is being processed by the Embassy, an individual can track the progress of their application through the main Department website.

I can confirm to the Deputy that our Honorary Consul in Toronto, who was appointed in 1998, has been at his current address, Suite 1210, 20 Toronto Street, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2B8 since 1999. This address has been widely disseminated over the years, including on various websites.

Finally if the Deputy wishes to forward details of a particular passport query, the Embassy will be happy to follow it up.