Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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All passports are issued in accordance with the Passports Act 2008, as amended (“the 2008 Act“). Under the 2008 Act, a passport cannot be issued to a person unless the Minister is satisfied as to the identity of the person and that the person is an Irish citizen.

The entitlement of a person to citizenship is governed by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended, (“the 1956 Act”), which is under the responsibility of the Minister for Justice.

As Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have no role in relation to entitlement to Irish citizenship, which is a matter for the Minister for Justice.

A child born in Ireland on or after 1 January 2005, whose parents have been given a refugee declaration by the Minister for Justice under the International Protection Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”) may be entitled to citizenship in accordance with section 6A(1) of the 1956 Act.

Section 6A(1) of the 1956 Act provides that a person born in the island of Ireland after 1 January 2005, may claim citizenship if a parent of that person has, during the period of four years immediately preceding the person's birth, been resident in the island of Ireland for a period of not less than three years.

Therefore, a child is entitled to Irish citizenship if the residency requirements of the parent (refugee or otherwise) as set out in section 6A (1) the 1956 Act are met, and in those circumstances, a passport will issue to that child (subject to the usual requirements set out in the Passports Act 2008 which govern the issuing of passports to children).

Further information on entitlement to Irish citizenship is available from the Minister for Justice.

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 his constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, further supporting documents for this application were received on 26^th March 2024. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days. This application is within the 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.

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.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant through the urgent appointment service.

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 Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. The Irish passport has a strong international reputation due to the strength of the security features within the passport book and the robust processes involved in its issuance. The Irish passport was recently ranked 3rd in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 192 countries.

Accordingly, there is a rigorous checking process in place for first time applications. The witnessing of passport forms is a vital element of the identity verification process for the Passport Service, as it provides initial assurance that the person in the photograph is the same person submitting the passport application form. In the case of children, it is essential that the Passport Service verifies the consent of the child’s guardians before a passport can issue. This ensures that the Passport Service protects the integrity of the passport itself and the rights of the child and their guardians.

There are certain passport applications for first time applicants resident in Ireland that require forms to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. Forms required to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána include:

• Certificate of Identity on Post Passport (paper) applications (section 8 and 9 of the application form)
• Identity Verification Forms for First time adult online applications
• Child Identity and Consent Forms for First time child online applications

For each application that requires a Garda witness, the Passport Service calls the relevant Garda station to confirm that the details were recorded in the station logbook. Passport Service staff will attempt to call the relevant Garda station up to three times to verify the Garda's signature.

During the peak period for passport demand in 2022, an email verification system was established between the Passport Service and An Garda Síochána to verify applications in cases where the Garda signature could not be verified by calling the Garda station. This system was paused at the beginning of September 2022 and the Passport Service now contacts the relevant Superintendent’s Office to verify the details if the Garda Station cannot be contacted by phone after three attempts. This system is working well.

The Passport Service maintains a close working relationship with An Garda Síochána and offers training and guidance to Gardaí on the correct completion of the required identity and consent forms. The Passport Service is continuously looking at ways to make the application process easier for applicants, including the enhancements of digital services. My Department would welcome the digitisation of the records maintained by An Garda Síochána when witnessing applications.