Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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96. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a third passport processing facility is to be opened in Dublin at Tallaght and-or a second passport processing facility in Cork to add to existing facilities at Mount Street, Dublin 2, Balbriggan, County Dublin, and South Mall in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15137/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department currently has passport processing facilities in Dublin, Ballbriggan and Cork.  The Department operates two public offices in Dublin and in Cork.  Work is ongoing with the Office of Public Works to expand the existing facility in Balbriggan, in addition to improvements to the office accommodation in Cork.

The Department is currently working with the Office of Public Works to provide temporary back-office processing capacity for the Passport Office in Tallaght as part of the Brexit contingency response.

The facility in Tallaght is currently leased to the State and will be ready in the coming weeks for temporary occupation. The facility allows for a cost-effective temporary solution be available to the Department without the additional costs of taking new space. The Department is taking this space until the extended facility in Balbriggan is ready.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address a matter in regard to a new passport processing facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15138/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The staffing levels of many units in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its missions overseas have been augmented in response to Brexit.  My Department has strengthened the capacity of the Passport Service by recruiting over 80 permanent staff to respond to the general increase in passport applications.  Those staff are located in the Passport Service offices in Balbriggan, Cork and in Dublin city centre.  In addition, over 230 Temporary Clerical Officers have been recruited.

However in light of the continued increase in passport application volumes the Passport Service is considering various options (including locations in Tallaght and Cork) to accommodate some additional temporary staff to assist with back office passport processing.

It is proposed to use existing Government offices already leased by the State, which will not attract additional rental costs, which are close to existing offices, already fitted out for this type of work and can facilitate a rapid set-up with mininium cost and expense.   

This temporary accommodation is only required until additional accommodation in Balbriggan, where one of our three offices is currently located, comes online.