Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the passports and working visas backlog; the percentage of Departmental staff who are back in the office full-time or with a blended arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47167/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Passport Service has issued almost 450,000 passports and passport cards in 2021.

There are approximately 130,000 applications currently on hand with the Passport Service. Approximately 60% of those applications are first-time applications. First-time applications are complex to process. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant, take measures to ensure the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship and, in the case of children, confirm that all guardians have consented to the issuing of the passport. Accordingly, the current processing time for first-time online applications is 40 working days. 

In contrast, simple adult online renewal applications are currently processed within 10 working days and, in almost 45% of cases, they are being issued within one business day.

A number of Departmental staff have been on-site throughout the pandemic. In August 2021, there were 519 staff assigned to the Passport Service. Of these, less than 1% were working from home on a full-time basis. From 20th September, all Departmental staff based in Ireland have been required to attend their respective workplaces one day a week.

On Monday, 27th September, the Passport Office in Mount Street resumed its Urgent Appointment Service for passport renewal. This service will resume in the Cork Passport Office on 22 October, subject to further easing of restrictions on social distancing. The Passport Service will continue to prioritise its emergency service for those who require a passport for a medical emergency or death of a family member abroad.

With regard to the part of the Deputy’s question relating to working visas, I encourage the Deputy to engage with my counterpart at the Department of Justice who will be able to assist with this enquiry.