Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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362. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding a passport renewal application by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6103/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the applicant mistakenly applied for a first time passport rather than a passport renewal when completing the application form online. As a result, the estimated issue date given was in line with processing times for first time applications.

The Passport Service has issued a passport to this applicant.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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365. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a schedule of the time backlogs on all accepted foreign-birth Irish passport applications by country; and the additional resources he has provided and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6180/22]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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368. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a schedule of the time backlogs on all accepted foreign Irish passport renewal applications by country; and the additional resources he has provided and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6183/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 365 and 368 together.

The tables below outline the numbers of passport applications on hand with the Passport Service from overseas by country. Table 1 details the number of complete online applications that are with the Passport Service for processing. Table 2 details the number of incomplete online applications that require additional action by the applicant to be completed. This may include the submission of witnessed child identity and consent forms or documents such as birth certificates. These applications cannot be processed by the Passport Service until the required documents are received.

While there is a very high volume of applications in the system, this does not represent a backlog. In January the Passport Service received over 137,000 applications. Figures show that there are currently 76,000 (53%) applications that are fully complete and are being processed by the Passport Service. There are also 67,000 applications (47%) in the system which the Passport Service is waiting for the customer to complete the application.

The current passport processing times are:

- 10 working days for Simple Adult online renewals

- 15 working days for Complex or child online renewals

- 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online

- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service

Online processing times apply to all online applications regardless of whether they originate in Ireland or overseas. These processing times are in addition to the time it takes for the postal provider to deliver the passport. This can vary depending on the applicant's location.

The Passport Service is facing its busiest year to date with an estimated 1.7 million passport applications expected. This volume of passport applications represents a significant increase from the previous high number of applications in 2019 when 935,000 passports were issued. My Department has been pro-actively planning to ensure the necessary resources are in place to meet this level of demand and is making an unprecedented investment in the Passport Service in terms of additional staff and improvements to the passport processing and customer service systems.

My Department is working with the Public Appointments Service on a major recruitment drive that has been underway for several months. Since June of 2021, over 300 members of staff at all grades have been assigned to the Passport Service. Additional staff are being assigned on a weekly basis with a goal of reaching staff numbers of 900 by the end of March. This represents a doubling of staff numbers over the course of 9 months.

The Passport Service is implementing a number of further measures that will positively impact the current turnaround times and improve customer service:

Intensive training of new staff and upskilling of existing staff is underway to increase the resources that can process complex applications.

The Passport Service is actively prioritising first time applications and directing increased resources to processing these complex applications with a view to reducing the current turnaround time.

A new document management process is being put in place that allows for a much quicker turnaround time when an applicant is asked to submit additional documents. Once these documents are received, they will be prioritised and complete applications will be processed in 3 weeks. This will greatly reduce the waiting time for applicants who are missing documents in their initial application.

In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system. Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.

We are confident that the measures that have been implemented will help to reduce passport turnaround times in the course of 2022, particularly for first time applications, and will assist the Passport Service in meeting the high demand forecast for this year.

Table 1 - Complete online applications with Passport Service for processing

*FTA refers to First Time Applicant

Table 2 - Incomplete online passport applications with applicant for further action

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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366. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a schedule of the time backlog on all accepted first-time passport applications made in Ireland; and the additional resources he has and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6181/22]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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367. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a schedule of the time backlog on all accepted passport renewal applications made in Ireland by post; and the additional resources he has and will provide to clear these backlogs. [6182/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together.

The tables below outline the numbers of first time and renewal applications on hand with the Passport Service. Table 1 details the number of complete and incomplete online and postal first time applications that are with the Passport Service. Table 2 details the number of postal or Passport Express renewal applications. Both tables outline how many applications are complete and being processed by the Passport Service and how many are incomplete and require additional action by the applicant. This may include the submission of witnessed child identity and consent forms or documents such as birth certificates. These applications cannot be processed by the Passport Service until the required documents are received.

While there is a very high volume of applications in the system, this does not represent a backlog. In January the Passport Service received over 137,000 applications. Figures show that there are currently 76,000 (53%) applications that are fully complete and are being processed by the Passport Service. There are also 67,000 applications (47%) in the system which the Passport Service is waiting for the customer to complete the application.

The current passport processing times are:

- 10 working days for Simple Adult online renewals

- 15 working days for Complex or child online renewals

- 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online

- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service

The Passport Service is facing its busiest year to date with an estimated 1.7 million passport applications expected. This volume of passport applications represents a significant increase from the previous high number of applications in 2019 when 935,000 passports were issued. My Department has been pro-actively planning to ensure the necessary resources are in place to meet this level of demand and is making an unprecedented investment in the Passport Service in terms of additional staff and improvements to the passport processing and customer service systems.

My Department is working with the Public Appointments Service on a major recruitment drive that has been underway for several months. Since June of 2021, over 300 members of staff at all grades have been assigned to the Passport Service. Additional staff are being assigned on a weekly basis with a goal of reaching staff numbers of 900 by the end of March. This represents a doubling of staff numbers over the course of 9 months.

The Passport Service is implementing a number of further measures that will positively impact the current turnaround times and improve customer service:

- Intensive training of new staff and upskilling of existing staff is underway to increase the resources that can process complex applications.

- The Passport Service is actively prioritising first time applications and directing increased resources to processing these complex applications with a view to reducing the current turnaround time.

- A new document management process is being put in place that allows for a much quicker turnaround time when an applicant is asked to submit additional documents. Once these documents are received, they will be prioritised and complete applications will be processed in 3 weeks. This will greatly reduce the waiting time for applicants who are missing documents in their initial application.

In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system. Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.

We are confident that the measures that have been implemented will help to reduce passport turnaround times in the course of 2022, particularly for first time applications, and will assist the Passport Service in meeting the high demand forecast for this year.

Table 1 - Domestic first time applications

Table 2 - Domestic postal renewal (Passport Express) applications

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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369. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has procured new buildings to house the new Irish Consulate General Offices in Lyon, Miami and Toronto. [6222/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The decision to open new Consulates General in Lyon, Miami and Toronto was taken as part of the Government's Global Ireland initiative to double the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint to 2025. The Consulates General are scheduled to open in late 2022. No Consulate premises or official accommodation have been procured to date. Such procurement will commence later this year and will be conducted in line with public procurement obligations.