Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will expedite a passport application in respect of a person (details supplied). [20104/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A passport application for the named person was registered with the Passport Office in London on 12 April, 2010. As a direct result of the industrial action, significant arrears of passport applications have arisen within the passport service. Applications, other than those that are prioritised on the basis of demonstrable urgent humanitarian need, are being processed on a first come first served basis. It is presently taking up eight weeks to process Passport applications in London. However, I understand that the application in question will be issued in time for travel. Every effort is being made to reduce the waiting time for applications, pending the resolution of the industrial action which is preventing the recruitment of temporary staff to address the seasonal surge in demand for passports.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action that is being taken to ensure that the public is satisfied with the service being provided by the passport office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20453/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As a direct result of ongoing industrial action by the Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU), significant arrears of passport applications have arisen within the Passport Service. There are currently approximately 66,000 passport applications waiting to be processed within the system and it is presently taking up to twenty two working days to process individual applications. Applications, other than those that are prioritised on the basis of demonstrable urgent humanitarian need, are being processed on a first come first served basis. The dispute is having a severe impact on the travelling public. Unfortunately, there are citizens whose trips abroad have had to be cancelled and holiday and work plans severely disrupted.

Every effort is being made to reduce the waiting time for applications, pending the resolution of the industrial action which is preventing the recruitment of temporary staff to address the seasonal surge in demand for passports. Staff have been working overtime for some weeks and this has kept the level of increase in the backlog to a minimum and in recent days seen a marginal reduction in this level.

However, the backlog in passport applications can and will be overcome when the CPSU call off their industrial action and co-operate with the recruitment of temporary staff normally engaged at this time of year. My Department has obtained the necessary sanction to recruit the temporary staff and arrangements have been made for staff to commence work at short notice. I would once again call on the CPSU to withdraw this restriction and to allow a significant number of currently unemployed workers to take on paid employment and assist in reducing the sizeable backlog of passport applications.

The Department's current advice to passport applicants is available on the website www.passport.ie :

1. Before making any overseas travel plans, customers should check passport expiry dates and submit any applications in sufficient time before the intended date of travel.

2. Photocopy the photograph page of any existing passport being renewed, include with the application form and retain the existing passport.

3. The recommended method for submitting passport applications is via the Passport Express service or Royal Mail NIPX service, available through local post offices.

4. Applications submitted through this service are currently being processed up to 22 working days from the date of receipt. The turnaround time for applications submitted through Irish Embassies abroad should in the 1st instance be checked on the relevant Embassy website.

5. Projected turnaround times for the issuing of passports are regularly updated and available at www.passport.ie

6. The public counters and out of hours services should only be used by those who have a necessity to travel for reasons of family emergency. i.e. travel is necessitated by the death, illness or welfare of a family member.

7. All other applications should be submitted through the Passport Express channel.

8. Customers should retain the barcode number on their passport application and use this number to check the status of their application on the Passport Service website: www.passport.ie . This should be the primary contact point for information and the site is updated several times a day.

9. Any queries on applications should be e-mailed using the contact details page on the website and should include the barcode number. These e-mails will be dealt with in order of receipt.

10. Customers who have made arrangements to collect their passport, should not call to the public counter until they have confirmed on the website that the relevant passport is ready for collection.