Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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1. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider waiving passport fees for children who are in foster care under the aegis of Tusla; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18442/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Passport fees are set out in Statutory Instrument No. 259/2019 Diplomatic and Consular Fees (Amendment) Regulations. Although there is no provision to waive the fee for children who are in foster care, the Passport Service has a dedicated team that deals with passport applications made on their behalf. This ensures that such applications are processed with due care and attention given their complexity.

The Passport Service has reduced the fee for all passports applied for through the online channel. I would encourage all persons applying for passports on behalf of children in foster care to apply online to avail of this reduced fee, which is 33% less expensive than the paper application fee for children.