Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

463. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to reinstate the free passport for over-65s. [9840/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A decision was taken in the 2005 budget to exempt applicants aged 65 and over from the passport fee. In 2011 the Government decided in light of the budgetary situation to discontinue the exemption and to apply the same ten-year passport fee to all applicants aged 18 years or over.

The annualized fee for a standard ten year Irish passport compares favorably with many other jurisdictions. At €8 per year, the Irish passport fee compares with approximately €9.60 for a French passport, €9.60 per year for a British passport, €10.80 per year for an American passport and €20 per year for an Australian passport.

Given that any shortfall in revenue or additional costs would have to be met by the taxpayer I do not have any plans at this time to reduce the fee charged to older applicants.