Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated full-year cost in relation to current and capital expenditure of opening up a new Passport Office in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38425/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Over 90% of all passport applications, including first time applications, are now being made through Passport Online which is available to 97% of all applicants across the world. 87% of applications from Northern Ireland are submitted online.

The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications.

Having a centralised passport system allows us to maintain the integrity of this vitally important document. It ensures that applications are processed by highly skilled staff who are expertly trained. The Irish passport ranks fifth in the world in terms of its security. It is critical that this high standard is maintained.

Passport Service figures show a very small number of applicants, less than 1%, use the in-person Urgent Appointment Service available at the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork for those renewing their passport. This is mainly due to the efficiencies of the online system through which over 40% of adults using the service to renew their passport received it within 2 days.

In terms of any proposed additional passport office, there are considerable financial implications to consider.

The number of new passport applications is now, in fact, decreasing. For this and other reasons such as those cited above, the Department is not currently actively considering the opening of another passport office anywhere in Ireland. I have asked for this matter to be kept under review.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38146/22]

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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253. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38147/22]

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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261. 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. [38328/22]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application (details supplied) given that it has exceeded the target issue date and applicants travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38330/22]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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266. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport for a child (details supplied). [38375/22]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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269. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38554/22]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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289. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport of a person (details supplied) will be issued given that they are due to fly soon. [38748/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 252, 253, 261, 263, 266, 269 and 289 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, these applications are within the current turnaround times and have not yet reached their issue by date.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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258. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will expedite a passport application for a child (details supplied) given that the target issue date has been exceeded and the travel date is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38183/22]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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259. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport will issue to a child (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that the estimated issue date was 11 May 2022. [38261/22]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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265. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport will issue to a child (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that the estimated issue date was the 22 June 2022. [38373/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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270. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38556/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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272. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38558/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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273. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38559/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38560/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38561/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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277. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38563/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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278. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a child (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38564/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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279. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a child (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38565/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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280. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38566/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38568/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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286. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application for a person (details supplied) given that the application has exceeded the target issue date and date of travel is imminent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38572/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 256, 258, 259, 265, 270, 272, 273, 274, 275, 277, 278, 279, 280, 282 and 286 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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255. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will expedite passport applications for a family (details supplied) given that the target issue date has been exceeded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38152/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants' parent.