Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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87. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to change the law concerning the examination of applicants for passports, whereby the requirement to have the application stamped by members of An Garda Síochána could be eliminated, thereby relieving gardaí for other duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35881/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The 2008 Passports Act 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 good reputation and integrity of the Irish passport worldwide which in turn protects Irish citizens as they travel abroad. The witnessing of applications by An Garda Síochána in the state has been a vital element of this identity verification and in combatting fraud.

However, recognising the additional workload which the significant increase in passport applications (from 250,000 in 1995 to over 630,000 last year) has put on An Garda Síochána, the Passport Service is reviewing the witnessing process. The process used to apply for a passport card is serving as a pilot for an online application form. It is anticipated that the Garda witnessing requirement for adults renewing their passports will be reviewed in tandem with a number of new identity verification and anti-fraud measures including increased reliance on the public services card as the core identity verification mechanism for all passport applicants in the state.