Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the campaigns his Department has undertaken to inform the general public of the new changes to the passport application service. [30781/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The quickest and cheapest way for customers resident on the island of Ireland to obtain their passport is to submit their applications through the passport express services offered by An Post and the Post Office in Northern Ireland. With effect from 30 June 2013, applications received by regular and registered post, which attract a higher charge and are more costly to process, will no longer be accepted and will be returned to the applicant with the advice that they use the passport express service. Further information is available at . It will still be possible to submit a passport application by attending the Passport Office in either Dublin or Cork. Priority at these public counters is given to those travelling at short notice. For those wishing to apply or renew a Passport at the Passport Office in Dublin, the Passport Service has launched a new appointment service . This service enables customers to book an appointment between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday to meet each customer's specific passport requirements. It is planned to roll out the appointments system in our public office in Cork in the coming months. Announcements of these new arrangements were placed in daily papers both north and south as well as in a range of Sunday titles. Many local papers have carried stories about the changes. Additionally the Director of Passport Services was interview by national and local radio stations. Our website prominently displayed this information as did our twitter account. There is considerable signage inside and outside of the Passport Office in Molesworth Street. Staff in the passport office have reported that the vast majority of people now presenting themselves at the office have made appointments as a result of learning of the new service.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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34. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current waiting time for a normal passport; the number of passports that were issued in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30494/13]

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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52. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current waiting time for the issuing of a normal passport application; the arrangements that are in place for emergency or compassionate applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30493/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 52 together.

Customers applying through the Passport Express service are given a commitment by the Passport Service that ten days from the date of receipt by the Passport Service of properly completed applications a passport will be issued. Last year over 83% (428,000) of all persons applying for their passports in the State used Passport Express Irish citizens applied for their passports through Passport Express. The minimum turn around time for a passport is 3 working days.

In cases of genuine emergency every effort is made by the Passport Service to meet a travel date where the Passport Service is satisfied that:

- the proposed journey is related to the death or serious injury or illness abroad of a close relative or a medical emergency relating to the applicant him/herself; and

- the presence of the applicant at the foreign location in connection with such an unexpected event is necessary or highly desirable; and

- the need to travel has arisen at short notice.

Additionally, my Department provides a Duty Officer Service outside normal office hours to deal with matters requiring immediate attention, including the issue of passports.

The total number of passport applications processed for the period 2011 to 20 June 2013 is detailed as follows: