Written answers

Wednesday, 27 June 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Passport Services

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

63. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take to ensure that those that applied for passports are kept up to date in relation to their application status (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27641/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Passport Service has a dedicated Communications Units to respond to queries from passport applicants. This Unit can be contacted by telephone, email or by web chat. The Passport Service is currently in its peak season for passport demand with the vast majority of applications being received between February and August each year. Accordingly, the Communications Unit has been dealing with a very high volume of queries from applicants in recent weeks. The Passport Service makes every effort to respond to as many applicant queries as possible. In recent weeks, the Passport Service has allocated additional resources to the existing Communications Unit. The Communications Unit is a dedicated customer service team that processes applicant queries received via its phone, email and webchat communication channels. Measures taken to improve responsiveness include the assignment of TCOs and the redeployment of experienced staff from across the Department to this unit and the use of targeted overtime.

Many queries received by the Communications Unit can be answered with information readily available on the Passport Service’s website www.DFA.ie/passport. Detailed and regularly updated information on passport services; current average turnaround times and comprehensive guides to the various application processes can be consulted here.

With particular reference to individuals seeking updates, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight that applicants can track the status of existing applications at any time through the Passport Service’s online tracker which can also be found on the Passport Service’s website. Information on this tracker is updated daily and reflects the current target turnaround times.

The Passport Service also has a Customer Care desk in the public offices (Mount Street, Dublin and Cork) where applicants can visit without an appointment for an update on their application.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.