Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passports issued from the Passport Office each year for the past five years; the staffing levels and average waiting times for each year; the amount of ordinary fees paid for passports by applicants and the amount of additional fees paid for the express service in respect of each year. [13397/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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A breakdown of passports issued and total passport income is appended for the years 2007 – 2010 and 2011 year to date. Demand for passport services is highly seasonal, with almost 50% of applications being received in the four months April – July each year. Incentives aimed at spreading demand more evenly throughout the year have proven unsuccessful and each year the Department employs temporary clerical staff (TCOs) to help the Passport Office meet the exigencies of the service.

The Passport Offices in Molesworth Street, Balbriggan and Cork are currently staffed approximately as follows (based on full-time equivalents ): 1 Principal Officer; 3 Assistant Principal Officers; 12 Higher Executive Officers; 49 Executive Officers/Staff Officers; 246 Clerical Officers; 6 Services Officers and 85 TCOs. The number of sanctioned posts has remained static since an additional 127 permanent posts were sanctioned by the Department of Finance in July 2006. However, the actual number of staff varies considerably depending on the time of year.

Additional fees for the express service are paid directly to An Post, for services provided by that company, and accordingly information in respect of these fees is not held by the Department. However, I have appended information in respect of the total number of applications received through the passport express service.

The average time to process a passport submitted through the Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express services available through the post offices is ten days. It takes on average four – six weeks to process all other applications. During the peak summer period, application processing times for this service can lengthen. In such circumstances, priority continues to be given to applications made through the Passport Express Service.

Due to a surge in demand, the turnaround time for passport express applications received through the Passport Express system is currently running between 11 and 13 working days and the processing period for ordinary post applications is currently six weeks or longer. This contrasts with the situation in 2010 when, as a result of industrial action, it proved necessary to withdraw all guarantees for passport express applications.

Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to the recent increase in waiting times for passport applications, the number of passport printing machines currently operating here; his plans to improve resources within his Department to reduce the lengthening waiting times for applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13542/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Due to a surge in demand, the turnaround time for passport express applications received through the Passport Express system is currently running between 11 and 13 working days. It normally takes 10 working days. During the peak summer period, application processing times for this service can lengthen and the processing period for ordinary post applications is currently six weeks or longer. Passport demand in general is currently running at a level 13% higher than the same period in earlier years. At present the Passport Service is receiving an average of 4,260 applications per day. This is an unprecedented level of demand, with the number of applications received from Irish residents alone in four recent days at over 5,200, exceeding by 700 the highest number previously for any one single day.

The Passport Service, through seasonal overtime and the additional output provided by recruited temporary staff, is working to bring processing times back to normal levels at the earliest opportunity. Last year the Molesworth Street passport production line was destroyed as a result of a water leak from the offices of another occupant of the building. The Passport Service is now operating with two production lines out of the primary site based in Balbriggan. The machines located in Balbriggan are capable of fulfilling current demand but the absence of a production facility in Molesworth St. can delay the turnaround time for urgent applications made to the Dublin office. It is expected that the replacement machine in Molesworth Street will be operational later in the Summer.