Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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38. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passport applications on hand; the number of which have been on hand for longer than 1, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14851/24]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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44. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passport applications being processed within the Passport Office as of 2 April 2024. [15100/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 44 together.

The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online.

There are currently over 160,000 passport applications in the system. 91,000, or 57% of these applications, are with the Passport Service for processing. The remaining 68,000 are awaiting further action by the applicant before they can be progressed. This means that the Passport Service is waiting for the applicant to submit supporting documents in order to move the application forward. It is the experience of the Passport Service that it can take weeks or months for Passport Online applicants to submit the documents required in order to progress their application. Once the applicant has submitted an application through Passport Online, the Passport Service emails them regularly to remind them to submit the required supporting documentation.

The numbers of passport applications currently in the system are outlined below in tabular form. The numbers below are broken down between applications that are with the Passport Service for action and those that require further action by the applicant. Applications that are with the applicant cannot be progressed by the Passport Service until the applicant takes the required action.

The number of passport applications that are with the Passport Service for processing six months or more represents 0.001% of the total number of applications in the system. These are very complex or sensitive cases that may involve citizenship, guardianship or legal issues. These require very thorough examination by experienced staff and can take longer to process. There are often multiple interactions between the Passport Service and the applicant or their guardians during this time, as well as with other government departments and agencies if required.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff in the passport service; by role, by year, for the years 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14852/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports this year to date. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online.

The Passport Service is well-resourced to meet forecasted demand for 2024. My Department has implemented a staffing plan to ensure that excellent customer service is maintained throughout periods of peak demand and is continuing to work to increase resources within the service.

2024 is expected to be another busy year for the Passport Service and the Passport Service is in an excellent position to meet the demand forecasted for this year.

The number of staff in the Passport Service; by role, by year, for the years 2019 to date are outlined below in tabular form.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when person (details supplied) will be issued with their passport document. [14917/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply 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. Passport Online is now available to 99.9% of all applicants across the world.

I would ask the Deputy to encourage her constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, supporting documents for this application were received on 11^th March 2024. This application is within the standard turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online.

It is not mandatory to have a Personal Publi Service (PPS) Number in order to apply for a passport. Applicants can leave this section blank when applying through Passport Online or through Post Passport. However for applicants resident in Ireland the inclusion of their PPS number can assist in expediting the process.

In the case of a first time adult passport applicant resident in Ireland, government-issued photographic identification confirming the applicant's identity is required. The most efficient way for an applicant to verify their identity is by submitting a copy of their Public Services Card. A Public Services Card, issued by the Department of Social Protection, satisfies the requirement for government-issued photographic identification.

In 2023, the Passport Online service was upgraded to allow the Passport Service to access General Register Office (GRO) birth records using the applicant’s PPS Number. This integration benefits a significant cohort of first time child applicants who are born in Ireland. Once their PPS Number is submitted through the Passport Online service, these applicants are no longer required to submit a physical birth certificate as these are now received digitally from the GRO. Since last year, almost 70,000 birth certificates have been digitally received by the Passport Service from the GRO. This upgrade has helped reduce the administrative burden for the applicant. Further information on the documentation required for an Irish passport is available on my Department's website at www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/documentary-requirements/.

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. Passport Online is now available to 99.9% of all applicants across the world.

I would ask the Deputy to encourage his constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.