Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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171. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average waiting time for a passport application or renewal to be processed and finalised; the extent to which the new demand for passports following the British vote to exit the European Union has affected the processing time; the number of additional applications for passports estimated to be applied for as a result of the referendum; if he has allocated additional resources to the Passport Office to enable it cope with the extra demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19994/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As of 4 July, there were a total of 50,055 applications in the passport system. This is down from 68,000 applications in hand approximately at the end of May and the turnaround times for passport renewals and first-time applications have improved. The level of demand remains very high this year with an 11% rise in the number of applications year-to-date compared to the same period last year. In this context I would point to the notable increase in outbound travel from Ireland this year which is another factor driving demand.

In the case of Passport Express renewal applications, which account for around 90% of all applications in the state, applicants are advised to allow 15 working days. Correctly completed applications currently have a turnaround time of 12/13 working days. First time applications take longer due to additional measures to verify identity and citizenship entitlement and applicants are advised to allow 20 working days. The current turnaround time for first time passport applications is 18/19 days.

To respond to the seasonal spike in demand and the more general increase in applications, a total of 233 Temporary Clerical Officers have been recruited so far this year. This is an increase of 62 officers on last year. The officers are assisting permanent staff with passport entitlement checking and customer care, including the response to queries received via phone calls, emails and social media.

Since the UK referendum result there has been a notable increase in queries concerning Irish passports and citizenship from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere. Statistics relating to passport applications are released on a monthly basis. In the month of June this year there were 7,045 applications in total from Northern Ireland and 5,719 applications from Great Britain. These represent increases of 9.5% and 20.5% respectively over the same month in 2015. However, the absolute numbers need to be taken in context as the Passport Service issued over 670,000 passports last year. It is too early as yet to identify the precise impact of the outcome of the referendum in terms of the volume of passport applications from the United Kingdom and the extent to which any initial increase will be sustained.

I would like to underline that there is no need for concern in terms of freedom of movement or entitlement to an Irish passport. The process of negotiation to enable the United Kingdom to leave the European Union is likely to take two years as envisaged under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union and once the article is triggered. During this period, the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union and its citizens continue to enjoy full rights including freedom of movement within the EU. At the same time, the referendum has not in any way changed the entitlement to an Irish passport including as it extends to those people born on the island of Ireland and those with Irish citizenship through parents or grandparents born in Ireland.

I would urge people who have concerns about freedom of movement within the European Union and British nationals who are interested in applying for an Irish passport for the first time to get the full facts and research their particular situation before contacting the Passport Service. Detailed information on passport entitlements and procedures is available on the website of the Department at www.dfa.ie.

While there has not been a significant impact on passport services so far from the UK referendum outcome, at least in terms of the overall number of passport applications, my Department will continue to closely monitor the situation. Passport Service staff and other resources will be re-deployed as needed to deal with an increase in applications, if sustained. The need for additional resources will be kept under active review.