Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the unprecedented increase in new applications for Irish passports, if he will consider the opening of a satellite passport office in the north east to facilitate persons from that region and Northern Ireland when applying for passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40498/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The vast majority of passport applications from both sides of the border are made through the post office networks on this island. This remains the most efficient and cost-effective way to apply and applications can be submitted at some seventy post offices in Northern Ireland and at over one thousand post offices in the state.

To accommodate a relatively small number of people with urgent or sudden travel needs, an appointment service is in operation in the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork. This on-line service provides flexibility in allowing customers to book guaranteed time slots, Monday to Friday. It removes the necessity for the small number of citizens who need their passports for urgent travel reasons to queue and ensures that waiting times at public counters are minimised. The passport reform programme, which is well underway, will deliver further significant customer service improvements in the coming years.

Overall, I am satisfied that the range of service options meets the current needs of passport applicants and that the service improvements on the way will allow the Passport Service to cope with future challenges.

My Department will continue to keep service levels under careful review and adjustments will be made to the deployment of current resources as needed.

In advance of the Christmas break I would ask all Members to join me in promoting public awareness of the need to apply for passports well in advance of travel. This will assist in avoiding having applicants visit a passport office in person given the partnership between the post office network throughout the island and the Passport Service.