Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the categories of passport applications handled by the special section of the Passport Office referred to in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 361 of 19 February 2008 in addition to applications forwarded by Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7942/08]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason, if applications for passports made through Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas are recorded manually, he is not in a position to indicate the number of such applications that were handled in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7943/08]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications made by the Health Service Executive on behalf of children which were handled by the special section of the Passport Office referred to in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 361 of 19 February 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7944/08]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the information contained in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 606 of 30 January 2008, that 6,200 passport applications were forwarded by Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2007 is correct; if not, when he was informed that this figure was not correct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7945/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 to 242, inclusive, together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has always sought to be of assistance to Members of the Oireachtas, including in relation to passport applications, and I believe this is widely appreciated.

The background to the special facility for passport applications submitted through Oireachtas Members and/or their Offices is that in the mid 1990s, and at a time when there were long queues outside the Passport Office, the Department's assistance with such passport applications was put on a more structured basis. At the same time, the focus of the Passport Office remained very firmly on ensuring the entitlement of applicants to passports, and the accuracy and integrity of the issuing process. Details of the submitting Members and/or their Offices were a secondary consideration. In this regard, records of the submitting Members and/ or their Offices were recorded manually, and were primarily of use to the section in question in responding to follow-up queries. This often meant that names of contact points in particular offices were recorded rather than the actual name of the Member of the Oireachtas.

I would wish to continue to be of assistance to Members on this issue. However, in the light of the recent focus on it, I have asked the Secretary General of the Department to undertake a review of all aspects of the facility, including whether it should be continued in place. I would of course welcome the input of Members into this review.

Against the background set out in the first paragraph above, I am satisfied that the information conveyed in my previous answers set out the position as accurately as possible. As regards other applications, some 29 applications have been recorded in 2007 as being forwarded through the Health Service Executive. In addition, the Passport Office indicates that applications over the years have been dealt with which were submitted by Health Boards, An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs and other Government Departments, NGOs working in developing countries and Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Finally, the Deputy will be aware that, following a major investment, Ireland has now one of the most secure passports in the world, and a service to the public that is second to none.