Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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391. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application by a person (details supplied) which was due at the end of 2021 will be processed urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7432/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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392. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7488/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant's parent as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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393. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport will be expedited in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7501/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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394. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport will be expedited in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7502/22]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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395. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if documents have been received for a first-time baby passport application by a person (details supplied); the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7503/22]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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400. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if documents have been received for a first-time baby passport application by a person (details supplied); the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7737/22]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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406. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport will issue for a baby (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8122/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 to 395, inclusive, 400 and 406 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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396. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the passport reminder service for passport expiry dates on his Department’s website is still active; if so, if consideration is being given to highlight the facility; if his Department has engaged with airlines on highlighting the need to check passport expiry dates when purchasing flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7548/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity including through messaging on the Department's website, via social media and also as part of our extensive media campaigns. My Department recently ran a multimedia campaign reminding passport holders to renew their passports. This successful campaign included two weeks of advertisements on radio and in national newspapers and is continuing at present with targeted advertisements in the Aviva Stadium for the duration of the Rugby 6 Nations encouraging citizens to renew their passports online.

This campaign appears to have contributed significantly to the large volume of passport applications received in recent weeks. In January 2022, the Passport Service received over 137,000 new passport applications. This is the highest volume of monthly applications ever received. The Passport Service estimates that up to 1.7 million passport applications will be received this year.

In addition, whenever the opportunity arises I regularly emphasise the need for citizens to check their passport validity before booking travel and to apply for their passport in plenty of time. The assistance of Deputies in communicating these messages to constituents is appreciated.

The Passport Service is currently considering further measures which might be introduced to encourage citizens to check the validity of their passports in plenty of time before travel. These might include an automatic reminder notification that could be sent to passport holders in advance of their renewal date. There are a number of important factors to be considered, however, in relation to such a passport renewal reminder service including; GDPR constraints, changes in contact details due to length of time between passport renewals, and the sensitive handling of cases where the passport holder may have passed away since their last passport renewal.

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. The Passport Issuance and Processing System (PIPS) contract was signed in September 2021 and my Department is actively working with the vendor to outline the high level design of the new system. The implementation of a passport renewal reminder service is also under consideration in the development of the new system.

With regard to the Deputy's question relating to engagement with airlines, the Passport Service is a member of the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee chaired by the Department of Transport and continues to examine effective ways of engaging with airlines on this matter. A senior official from the Passport Service recently attended a meeting between my Department and the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and highlighted the importance of citizens checking the validity of their passport before booking travel.

I strongly urge anyone who is considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply for their passports online in plenty of time. The Passport Online Service is four times quicker than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications and is the fastest, easiest and safest way to apply for a passport. Over 90% of applicants now apply online compared to 47% of applications received online in 2019.

Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, irrespective of age, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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397. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there are plans to allow first-time applicants access to passport online for persons living in South Africa, India and Japan. [7645/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Passport Online has been the most significant innovation of the Passport Service in more than a decade. The Passport Online Service was first launched in 2017 to facilitate adults renewing their passport. This was expanded in 2018 to child renewals and again at the end of 2019 to first time applicants, irrespective of age both children and Adult in Ireland, UK, and all EU and EEA countries. The most recent expansion was in 2021 which facilitated first time applications from USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Further expansion will take place over the next 18 months to make the service available to all first time applicants. South Africa will be the first country to benefit from this further expansion by the end of March while India and Japan are scheduled towards the end of 2022.

Currently 98% of passport applicants globally have access to the Passport Online service and it is four times faster than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications. Passport Online is the fastest, easiest and safest way to apply for a passport. Over 90% of applicants now apply online compared to 47% of applications received online in 2019.