Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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62. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his Departments position in cases in which a passport application is not correctly logged within a Garda station or where a Garda station does not answer due to being a part-time station; if he will provide assurances that applicants will not have their applications delayed due to such errors or the station being closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46544/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Passport Service is successfully responding to demand, and has issued over 700,000 passports to date this year. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times.

Certain passport application forms for applicants resident in Ireland are required to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. Approximately, 17% of all applications require Garda witnessing. These applications are:

- Post Passport;

- First Time Adult Online;

- First Time Child Online.

The witnessing of these application forms is an important element of the identity verification process, as it provides initial assurance to the Passport Service that the person in the photograph is the same person presenting to submit the form.

In these cases, the Passport Service calls the relevant station to confirm that the Garda recorded the form in their logbook. The Passport Service is not required to directly speak to the witnessing Garda. Passport Service staff call the Garda station up to three times to verify the witness' signature. Passport applications are checked by experienced entitlement officers who endeavour to maintain up-to-date records of the opening hours of Garda stations.

Where the Passport Service cannot reach the Garda station after three attempts, the relevant Superintendent’s Office can be contacted to verify the details. If the Passport Service is unable to verify the witness after these steps have been taken, a new witnessed form will be requested from the applicant.

The Passport Service is continuously looking at ways to make the application process easier for applicants, including the enhancement of digital services, and would therefore welcome the digitisation of the records maintained by An Garda Síochána when witnessing applications.

The Passport Service maintains a close working relationship with An Garda Síochána and offers guidance to the Gardaí on the correct completion of the required identity and consent forms. The Passport Service will continue this engagement to discuss how we can work together to improve the service for citizens.

I strongly urge anyone who is considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply online for their passports in plenty of time.