Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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711. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to address the problem of gardaí having to sign passports, given that this procedure is so time-consuming; the alternatives currently being considered to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28822/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Passports Act, 2008 provides that the Minister for Foreign Affairs shall be satisfied as to the identity of each applicant before a passport is issued. This serves to maintain the worldwide good reputation and integrity of the Irish passport, which, in turn, ensures the safe travel and well-being of Irish citizens as they travel abroad. The witnessing of applications by An Garda Síochána in the State is a cornerstone of this identity verification. Moreover, it helps to combat passport fraud and identity theft. However, recognising the additional workload the annual increase in passport applications (from 250,000 in 1995 to over 630,000 last year) has put on An Garda Siochana, the Passport Service is reviewing the witnessing process. It is intended that the process used to apply for a passport card will serve to pilot an online application form. This is likely to mean that the Garda witnessing requirement for adults renewing their passport application will be removed in the medium term. This will be implemented in tandem with a number of new identity verification measures including an increased reliance on the Public Services Card as the core identify verification mechanism for all passport applicants in the State.