Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish passport is a vital document of the Irish State and is currently ranked third in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides citizens with visa-free access to over 190 countries. The existing passport book is ten years old and, in order to maintain the integrity and security of the passport, frequent redesigns and enhanced security features to passport books, passport cards and other travel documents are recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Last year, my Department ran a public consultation to help inform the Department’s design considerations for the new passport book. This exercise was an opportunity for the public to contribute to the design of the next Irish passport. Response rates for this public consultation were unprecedented in terms of typical engagements of this nature with more than 10,000 responses in the first week, and a total of 15,470 surveys completed over the course of the three-week fieldwork period.

The results of this consultation have provided a rich set of data and clear guidance on the flora and fauna that citizens would like to see incorporated into the new passport design. The upcoming redesign relates to the pages inside the passport book and the burgundy cover with our national harp emblem will remain. The results are available on Ireland.ie and I would encourage all with an interest in our passport to access and read the detailed report.

The Department is now bringing forward these insights in order to integrate them, to the greatest extent possible, into a viable passport design. The Department is currently undertaking a procurement exercise to secure a manufacturer for the production of new passport books, passport cards and other related travel documents. This procurement is a highly complex and technical undertaking, which will take a number of months to complete. Upon completion of a successful procurement exercise, the Department expects to be in a position to provide a provisional timeline for the release of the new passport.