Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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398. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications for Irish passports by British citizens between 24 June 2015 to 23 June 2016 and 24 June 2016 to 23 June 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35434/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In processing a passport application the Passport Service verifies that the applicant is an Irish citizen by examining supporting documentation. The Passport Service does not verify or keep records of any other citizenship an applicant may hold.

Records are maintained of the volumes of passport applications submitted through Embassies and Consulates General abroad, as well as the country of residence of applicants when renewing their passports. It is not necessarily the case, however, that an applicant applying from outside Ireland is also a citizen of her/his country of residence. Accordingly, figures for passport applications through the Embassy of Ireland in London include both Irish citizens who do not hold any other citizenship as well as those who are also British citizens and/or hold citizenship of another country.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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399. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on passport application processing times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35446/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The target turnaround time for the Online Passport Renewal Service is ten working days plus postage, which varies depending on the destination to which the passport is dispatched. Over 90% of online applications are being processed within five working days, well ahead of the target. The online service is fast, secure, convenient and available to adult citizens renewing their passports from anywhere in the world.

Despite increased volumes of passport applications - up 10% during the first six months of 2017 as compared to 2016 - the average turnaround time for passport renewal through the Passport Express service at branches of An Post (and the Post Office in Northern Ireland) is on target at fifteen working days. This turnaround has been steadily maintained for several weeks now.

First-time applications and applications to renew lost, stolen or damaged passports can take longer to process due to additional security checks. The current average turnaround times for these applications are twenty one working days through An Post Passport Express and fifteen working days through Northern Ireland Passport Express.

In Great Britain, Passport Express applications submitted through the Liverpool and Glasgow Post Offices take on average seventeen working days to process. The average turnaround times for postal applications through the Passport Office in London are currently six weeks for renewals and a minimum of twelve weeks for first-time applications.

Elsewhere abroad, applications through Embassies and Consulates General are taking thirteen working days to process from the date the application is registered at the Passport Office. Passports issued through this channel are forwarded to the relevant Irish Embassies and Consulates abroad for onward dispatch. Delivery times will therefore vary depending on the location of the applicant. I would urge people who are renewing their passports abroad, including Great Britain, to avail of the online passport renewal service where possible.

In all cases, applicants should not book travel until in possession of a valid passport and should allow plenty of time for a passport to issue in case any problems with the application arise in the course of processing.

I am grateful to Deputies for their continued assistance in advising constituents to visit the Passport Service webpage on my Department’s website (www.dfa.ie/passport) before applying, and to sign up for our passport renewal reminder service at www.eforms.gov.ie/en/reminder/passport/.