Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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242. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if new passports can continue to be posted to applicants from Northern Ireland; the reason that these applicants are now been asked to travel and collect these passports from locations in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2492/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Following national strike action by staff at the UK Royal Mail postal service during the month of December 2022, the Passport Service took contingency action to minimise disruption for customers.

As a result, the Passport Service has temporarily suspended the dispatch by post of passports and supporting documentation to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to avoid passports being affected significantly by the resulting disruptions to Royal Mail postal services. This has allowed the Passport Service to issue urgently-required passports to customers by alternate means, where those passports may not otherwise have been received in time for travel due to the disruptions.

There are a number of options available to customers who require their passport urgently, including the collection of passports.The Passport Service advises customers to contact the Passport Service Customer Service Hub on +353 1 6711633 to make alternative arrangements, if required.

The prospects for a return to normal postal service are being kept under daily review, and the Passport Service is in ongoing contact with An Post and Royal Mail in relation to this. In the interim, all passports and supporting documentation is being stored securely by the Passport Service in Dublin.