John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she has plans to examine a shorter-term, more affordable passport renewal option for seniors (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65359/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The standard Irish passport issued to adults is valid for 10 years, which is a common validity period for adult passports worldwide. 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.

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 currently 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.