Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the planned changes to renewal of adult passports online; when he expects this to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8924/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The introduction of on-line enrolment for passport applications is a key customer service initiative under the Passport Reform Programme. I expect this new service to start rolling out in the coming months. The on-line option will initially be available for routine renewal of adult passports but it will be extended in phases to all applicants, including first-time applicants and children, by 2019. The benefits in terms of shorter turnaround times, greater convenience coupled with more predictability, including for citizens overseas, will be considerable as will the efficiency gains for the Passport Service. As the up-take of the on-line service grows the efficiencies will assist my Department in managing the significant increases in demand for passports that we have seen of late and which are likely to continue.