Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1586. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have been issued a public services card in each year since first introduced; the waiting time to issue a public services card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36595/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department commenced issuing Public Services Cards (PSC) on a phased basis from October 2011. Since then it has issued over 2.71 million PSCs. A breakdown of the number of PSCs issued per annum is -

PSCs issued from 2012 to 2017 (to date)

Over 2.3 million people have now been registered for a PSC. The difference in figures of approximately 400,000 represents PSCs that have been revoked for a variety of reasons including expiry, loss, theft, damage, change in Free Travel entitlement, etc.

Applying for a PSC is a relatively easy process. It typically takes about 10-15 minutes for a person to register and authenticate their identity to get a PSC. There are 100 registration locations nationwide. For the majority of these a person can book an appointment online within 24 hours or, providing they have the relevant documentation, they can be dealt with on a walk-in basis. It takes 5-7 working days for a person to receive their PSC in the post once they complete the registration process. Full details on the PSC are available on the Department’s website at

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.