John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on a passport application (details supplied), given the applicants travel date is imminent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65330/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the 2008 Act”). Under Section 14(1) of the Act, the consent of a child’s guardian(s) must be given before the Passport Service can issue them a passport.

In order to protect the integrity of the Irish passport and the rights of the child and their guardian(s), it is important that the Child Identity and Consent form is correctly completed, witnessed and validated by the Passport Service for both first time and renewal applications for children. Guardians must be present to the person acting as a witness.

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.

Turnaround time applies to fully complete and correct applications, and begins from the date that supporting documents are received by the Passport Service, not the date the online application is made. Applications that are incorrect or incomplete will take longer to process. Since 2022, the Passport Service has operated a document management system whereby incomplete applications that require further supporting documents are prioritised once the additional documents are received by the Passport Service. These applications are then processed within 15 working days.

With regard to the Deputy's query, the supporting documents for this application was received by the Passport Service on 20 October 2025. As both guardians were not present when the Child Identity and Consent form was witnessed, this form was not acceptable. Another Child Identity and Consent form was requested by the Passport Service on 10 November 2025. This was received by the Passport Service on 18 November 2025. The application is currently queuing to be re-examined by the Passport Entitlement team. Therefore, this application is within the turnaround time.