Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 88: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding a passport application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [11423/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The passport was posted to the applicant on 10 May. I would like to thank the applicant for using the recommended Passport Express service and for submitting their application in good time. I regret the delay in the issuing of their passport. The Passport Service is experiencing surge in demand for passports, unprecedented in volume and timing, apparently fuelled by families taking foreign holidays earlier in year. The situation is further complicated by the number of applicants who are calling to the counter seeking the urgent renewal of their passports in order to enable them to travel on last-minute bookings.

The Passport Service regrets the delay and any difficulties caused in this regard. Additional temporary staff have been recruited and are in training. Within a short period, seasonal overtime and the additional output provided by temporary staff will bring processing times back to normal levels.

The public can also assist the Passport Service by checking the validity of their passports before making bookings to travel abroad. A valid passport should be the first item on any check list when considering foreign travel, whereas all too often it appears to be the last.