Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passport applications from County Tipperary that are currently outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4398/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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2022 was an exceptionally busy year for the Passport Service, with a record 1,085,000 passports issued. 2023 is set to be a similarly busy year.

There has already been a marked increase in the number of applications received this year, signifying that the next busy season for passports is commencing. Applications have increased from an average of 1,400 per day in December to almost5,000 per day in recent weeks. The majority of online renewal applications are currently being processed in 3 working days or less.

Over the past few months my Department has been planning to ensure that demand for passports continues to be met in 2023 while maintaining target processing times throughout the year. 

Passport Online can be used by 97% of applicants across the world, for both first time and renewal applications. The Passport Online Service is 4 times faster than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications.

The Passport Service is pursuing a digital first strategy, which promotes Passport Online as the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to apply for a passport. The focus of our current communications campaign is to highlight the benefits of the Digital First approach i.e. that Passport Online is the most efficient way to apply for your passport and secondly to remind citizens to check their passport is in date.

Indications are that the campaign is having the desired impact. January application numbers to date in 2023 have increased by 24% when compared to the same period in 2022. Additionally, we have seen a 240% increase in website traffic to dfa.ie/passports compared to early December, prior to the campaign.

I am confident that the staffing and accommodation measures implemented, along with other improvements, will have a positive impact on passport processing times for 2023.

There are currently just over 1,700 applications in the Passport Online system from applicants in Tipperary. However, just 53% of these are with the Passport Service for processing while the remaining 47% are with the applicant for further action. These applications are being processed in line with normal turnaround times.