Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will arrange to have a table outlining the full data requested by the Deputy shared with him directly after this session.

I would like to make a number of points in relation to passport processing times and a perceived application backlog.

The number of applications in the passport system that were received more than one month ago is almost 104,000. However, 37% of those applications are incomplete and require further action by the applicant. It is the experience of the Passport Service that applicants can take weeks and sometimes even months after they register their application online to submit documents such as birth certificates and witnessed consent forms.

It is also important to note that the processing time for applications does not begin until applicants submit the supporting documents that are required to complete the application.

The number of applications registered more than six months ago falls to 11,000 or 6% of the total number of applications in the system. However, 70% of those 11,000 applications require further action by the applicant. The Passport Service simply cannot progress these applications until the applicant submits the additional documents required in order to complete the application.

There are currently over 182,000 applications in the Passport Service system. While this is a very high volume of applications, it does not represent a backlog. These applications are all being processed in the usual way, with a continuous stream of new applications and a continuous dispatch of completed passports happening every day.

The Passport Service has issued over 264,000 passports this year to date. In fact, in less than three months, the Passport Service has issued 41% of the number of passports issued in all of 2021.

As a result of the investment that my Department is making in the Passport Service, the turnaround time for first time applications has recently been reduced from 40 working days to 35 working days even in the context of the unprecedented volume of applications being received.