Written answers
Tuesday, 26 June 2018
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Passport Services
Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the waiting times for passport applications; the action he is taking to reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27651/18]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The turnaround timeframe for a passport application will depend, in the first instance, on the channel through which the application was submitted. The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, online passport application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and the network of Irish Missions worldwide.
The table shows target and actual turnaround times for all of the Passport Services application channels.
| Type of Passport Application | Target Turnaround Times | Actual turnaround Times |
|---|---|---|
| Online Passport Application | 10 working days | 10 working days with 50% processed in 5 working days |
| An Post Passport Express Renewal Applications | 15 working days | 15 working days |
| An Post Passport Express First Time Application, and Lost/Stolen/Damaged Replacements | 20 working days | 30 working days |
| Northern Ireland and Great Britain Passport Express Renewal Applications | 15 working days | 15 working days |
| Northern Ireland and Great Britain Passport Express First Time Applicants and Lost/Stolen/Damaged Replacements | 20 working days | 34 working days |
| Missions | 30 working days | 23 working days |
| Great Britain Renewals | 20 working days | 19 working days |
| Great Britain First time applicants/renewals with lost/stolen passports | 30 working days | 51 working days |
Turnaround targets are determined on the basis of available resources and projected demand. Turnaround times are among a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by which the Passport Service measures its success in delivering a modern and responsive public service.
The Passport Service is doing everything possible to ensure that passports are processed as quickly as possible. In addition to the intake of TCOs and use of targeted overtime, experienced staff from across the Department have been re-deployed to processing applications and respond to customer queries.
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