James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of applications for passports to date in 2022 from counties Kildare and Wicklow; the number of passports issued; and the number of outstanding applications for passports currently awaiting processing in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32919/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In the past four weeks, the Passport Service has issued an average of 30,000 passports per week.

99% of all child and adult online renewal applications are issued within the standard turnaround time and almost half of all adults who renew their passports online will receive their new passport in the post within 2 working days.

Processing time for first time applications now takes 25 working days, down from 40 working days in March. In the space of three months, processing time for first-time applications has been reduced by almost 40%.

The Passport Service has taken on over 400 new staff since June of 2021 in a major recruitment drive. This recruitment effort will bring staffing numbers at the Passport Service to over 900.

The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below in tabular form, for online applications. It is not possible for the Passport Service to provide the requested figures in respect of paper-based applications. This table also breaks down the number of applications currently in the system that are being processed by the Passport Service, and the number that are awaiting further action by the applicant. 

The numbers requiring further action from the applicant do not necessarily mean that they are incorrect or errors have been made. Many of these incomplete applications arise when applicants have applied online and have not yet sent in their documentation. Most people send in their supporting documents quite quickly but some do take longer for a variety of reasons. It is important to remember that processing times do not begin when the applicant applies online.  Processing time is calculated once  the Passport Service receives any supporting documents that are required to complete the application.