Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing said passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25619/24]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25623/24]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to review a passport application and expedite same (details supplied); and if he will provide an update on the matter. [25662/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 42 and 43 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider amending the rules to allow the issuing of passports of shorter durations in view of some extenuating circumstances (details supplied). [25621/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The standard Irish passport issued to adults is valid for 10 years. Passport fees were last updated in June 2019 and set out in Statutory Instrument No. 259/2019 - Diplomatic and Consular Fees. At that time the fee for adult passports applied for through the Passport Online service was reduced from €80 to €75. The fee for passports applied for through postal service providers remained at €80.

In 2023 the Passport Service received 11,272 applications from applicants aged 80 years or older. Of these, 10,062 were online applications and 1,210 were Post Passport paper applications.

Given that the production cost of a passport is the same, irrespective of validity, and that any shortfall in revenue or additional costs would have to be met by the taxpayer, there are no plans to offer the option of a passport with a shorter period of validity at a reduced cost.

I am satisfied that, at a cost of €75 for an online application, which breaks down to €7.50 per year, the Irish passport fee compares favourably with the services offered elsewhere.