Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of passports reported lost or stolen to his Department for each year from 2015 to 2024 and to date in 2025. [46147/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The integrity of the Irish passport is the foremost priority of the Passport Service. 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 is currently ranked third in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 189 countries.

The loss or theft of passports and passport cards is taken very seriously by the Passport Service as it compromises the safety and security of citizen's personal data and can result in fraudulent activity. The Passport Service ensures that passports reported as lost or stolen are cancelled and notified to Interpol at the earliest opportunity. Once the passport is cancelled and notified to Interpol, it is no longer valid for travel.

The numbers of passports reported as lost or stolen to the Passport Service in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025, are detailed below in tabular form.