Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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58. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when it will be possible to renew a child's passport online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26061/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of an ongoing Passport Reform Programme, an online passport application service was launched on 30 March 2017. To date over 200,000 adults have renewed their passport using the online facility, with an average processing time of less than 10 working days. At present, the online passport application service accommodates adult passport renewal applications and passport card applications. My Department plans to roll out a similar service for the renewal of children’s passports by the end of 2018. The online passport application service has made a major contribution to the effective management of high application volumes. As more applications are processed online, staff have been freed up and reallocated to other essential work in the Passport Service such as the identification of fraud and the protection of the integrity of the Irish passport.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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59. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of reform of the passport application system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26062/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Passport application forms are distributed to members of the public through public offices such as post offices, garda stations and libraries. The same application form is applicable irrespective of whether the applicant is a renewal or a first time applicant. The notes accompanying the application form have recently been updated to include information on the Online Passport Application service which is available for adults renewing their passport. This Online Passport Application service was launched in March 2017 and since then over 200,000 Irish citizens have applied for their passport using this service. It is the cheapest and most convenient way for an adult to renew a passport as it can be done online anywhere in the world, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and removes the requirement for forms, witnesses or printed photos.

The Online Passport Application service is part of a wider Passport Reform Programme (2016 – 2021) which aims to roll out further online application services for other adult renewal categories and for children by the end of 2018. In 2015, as part of the launch of the Passport Reform Programme, a customer engagement survey was undertaken, the results of which indicated a very high level of interest in an online passport application service.

The continued uptake of the Online Passport Application service, along with the roll-out of online application options for further categories of applicants, has benefits for all categories of applicants. As more applications are processed online, resources within the Passport Office can be reallocated towards categories of applicants who experience longer processing times due to additional security checks being required, such as first time applicants or those with previously lost or stolen passports.

The Passport Service is committed to providing the highest level of service to customers and is satisfied that the Passport Service can best meet their needs by

continuing to deliver major upgrades to the passport service technology platforms and business processes as well as making significant customer service improvements.