Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the shortest period within which an emergency passport can be issued for the purposes of business. [8530/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The standard processing time for all passports received through the Passport Express Service or over the counter in the Passport Office in Dublin City Centre or in Cork is 10 working days. Applicants can ask to have an application expedited in the case of urgent business. In such cases, the Passport Office may issue a passport within 3 working days. A fee of €55, which is additional to the applicable fee for the issue of a passport, must be paid by the applicant. When applying through a public office, the applicant must state clearly at the time of application that the passport is needed urgently and must provide satisfactory evidence of the need to expedite the application. An expedited service is not provided in cases where the applicant is a first time adult applicant or cannot produce his/her previous passport due to loss or theft.

Statutory Instrument 47/2011 provides for the issue of an emergency passport outside of normal hours for an additional emergency fee of €110. An emergency passport duty officer service operates on Friday evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays through my Department's offices in Dublin and in Cork. Citizens abroad would need to make an appointment through an Irish diplomatic mission. In cases of genuine emergency, a temporary passport with limited validity of no more than 11 months can be issued on a same day basis.