Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

328. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update in respect of his Department's engagement with the Public Appointments Service recruitment campaign to hire additional staff needed to meet demand for passports and foreign birth registration applications. [44962/21]

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

My Department continues to work closely with the Public Appointments Service to recruit additional resources to meet demands across the Department, including in the Passport Service, which has responsibility for the delivery of both passports and foreign birth registrations.

Ongoing contact between my Department and the Public Appointments Service has continued as part of the recruitment of further additional permanent resources and temporary resources to meet the current and forecasted demand for passports.

In addition the Public Appointments Service has assigned Temporary Clerical Officers available, who will be able to take up duty quickly once security and pre-employment processes are completed. I can assure the Deputy that staffing needs for the Passport Service, including additional resources to meet the projected demand continues to be an ongoing priority for my Department, and an issue which is kept under constant review.