Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Passport Office provides a comprehensive range of options for citizens to apply for passports. In addition to the public counter service in Dublin and Cork applications may be made by express post through some 1,000 post offices across the country and some 70 post offices in Northern Ireland. While the originally guaranteed 10 working day service is not currently available applications are being processed in a first come first served basis. Less urgent applications can also be made by ordinary post.

The current problems being encountered in the passport office are a direct result of industrial action over recent months and a 24% increase on applications for this time of year. My Department is working to meet the demand and is issuing passports between 15 and 20 working days from date of receipt. Continued refusal of the Civil, Public and Services Union to co-operate with temporary seasonal staff is hindering the ability to reduce these timelines. Notwithstanding the current financial pressures on my Department, I am keeping the issue of additional regional passport offices under review