Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will review correspondence from a person (details supplied) in relation to a passport application; if he can assist in getting these documents back; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62269/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant and their documents will be returned as requested.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the processing time on a passport is reset on receipt of additional documentation thereby resulting in first-time passport applications or passport express renewal applications taking significantly more than eight weeks; when this new procedure was introduced; if he will review it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62318/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The processing times for all passport applications are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant.

Applications can take longer than the average turnaround time if applicants have not provided all of the required documentation to correctly complete their application. Passport Service figures show that a high proportion of applications are incomplete. The onus is on the applicant to submit the required documents to the Service. The Passport Service engages with all applicants who have not submitted the required documentation. However, their applications are not complete and cannot proceed through the processing system until all required outstanding documentation is submitted.

The Passport Service is attaching particular priority to the nearly 7% of online applications that have not been issued on or before estimated issue date that was indicated to the applicant. Intensive work is underway to eliminate these delays which are very much regretted by the Service.

The Passport Service continually examines how to improve processing times and engagement with applicants. Preparation is currently underway for several system and service improvements that will enhance the customer service experience and will improve processing times. A particular improvement that will be of interest to the Deputy is a change to the documentary management process that will reduce the turnaround time when additional documents need to be submitted by the applicant. These improvements will be rolled out in early 2022.

My Department has been actively working with the Public Appointments Service to recruit permanent and temporary staff between now and the end of January 2022. This recruitment drive is well underway and will double the number of staff in the Passport Service from June 2021 levels to a total of 920 staff by the end of January.

These staff members are currently being trained and assigned across all areas of the Passport Service, including to the teams who handle the registration, verification and scanning of the supporting documents required to complete a passport application. This can be a time-consuming process depending on the complexity of the application and the origin of the supporting documents. The rigorous verification of supporting documents is a critical measure to protect the integrity of the Irish passport.

I am confident that the additional staff currently being assigned to the Passport Service will help to reduce turnaround times, including for applicants who are requested to submit supporting documentation, and to respond to the current and anticipated high demand for passports in 2022.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason it took 47 working days after receipt of documents by the Passport Office for the documents to be checked in relation to an application by a person (details supplied); the reason it will take another 40 days after receipt of the certified documents for this application to be progressed, considering that the application was received online on 29 August 2021; when this passport will be dispatched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62323/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service regrets that this application was not checked within the current average turnaround time of 40 working days. The Passport Service contacted the applicant on 17 November 2021 to request a document that was required to complete the application. A document has been submitted by the applicant and the application is progressing through the processing system.

With regard to the applicant's previous passport, this passport was issued over 20 years ago and is not an acceptable form of identification for the purposes of issuing a new passport. For that reason, the Passport Service requested a current form of photo identification.

The processing times for all passport applications are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant.

This application currently has an estimated issue date of 3 February 2022. If the applicant has a travel emergency, they can contact the Passport Service Customer Service Hub via webchat (www.dfa.ie/passports/contact/) or telephone (01.671.1633).