Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Passport Services

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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376. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to consider making available the equipment necessary to make the passport rapid renewal service available in County Cork; the cost of such specialised equipment, as is available in the Dublin office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7257/16]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Passport printing and personalisation requires highly specialised machinery, auxiliary equipment and a temperature-controlled environment. The production equipment and suites need continual engineering support and trained staff to manage the sites. The purchase cost of a new passport printing machine alone is in excess of €1.5m.

The printing capacity of production equipment currently employed by the Passport Service is sufficient to meet current and anticipated future demand for passports. There are no plans at this time to commission additional passport production equipment or sites.

While the rapid renewal service is not available through the Passport Office in Cork every effort is made by the Passport Service to meet a travel date in cases of genuine urgency.

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