Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2023
133. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total number of passports issued to applicants at addresses within the State in each year from 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22448/23]
View answer137. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the average length of time it currently takes to check the validity of documents in relation to a passport application; the rules or targets related to such; when such rules or targets were adopted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22460/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 137 together.
My Department is currently in the busiest season for passport applications, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current high demand, and has issued over 420,000 passports to date this year. All turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs. The Customer Service Hub is responding to over 3,000 queries per day.
Applications which required supporting documents go through a number of stages during their processing time. The checking of documents to determine their validity is just one of these stages. The time it takes to check the validity of documents associated with an application varies as more complex applications require additional documentation and so can take longer. Other factors include what jurisdiction the document has come from and whether it is an original or a photocopy.
There are no targets for this specific part of the application process, rather there is a set target for the full processing time for an application, from receipt of supporting documents to date of passport issuance. The processing times outlined below are all in line with current targets:
Online simple adult renewal - 10 working days
Online child/complex adult renewal - 15 working days
Online first time application, adult or child - 20 working days
Post Passport via An Post, adult or child - 8 weeks
Over the past 18 months, the Passport Service has been actively working to reduce the number of original documents required for a passport application, and very positive changes have been introduced in this regard. Parents are no longer required to submit their original Irish passport for a child's application, as photocopies are accepted. Certified copies are now accepted for Naturalisation certificates and Foreign Birth Registration certificates, meaning these original documents also no longer need to be submitted. Applicants applying on the basis of Naturalisation or Foreign Birth Registration are no longer required to submit their original passport from their country of origin, provided they can submit another form of government issued photographic identification, such as a certified copy of their driver's licence or a copy of their Public Services Card.
Since 1st April this year, thanks to an integration with the General Register Office (GRO), a significant cohort of first time applicants born in Ireland no longer need to submit their original birth certificate. Since then over 9,000 birth records have been retrieved digitally.
The number of passports issued within the State in each year from 2010 to date are outlined below in tabular form.
|
Year |
Passports issued within the State |
|
2010 |
508,589 |
|
2011 |
519,396 |
|
2012 |
521,800 |
|
2013 |
514,904 |
|
2014 |
493,770 |
|
2015 |
555,227 |
|
2016 |
607,014 |
|
2017 |
630,727 |
|
2018 |
600,909 |
|
2019 |
620,457 |
|
2020 |
288,992 |
|
2021 |
470,490 |
|
2022 |
794,414 |
|
2023 to date |
314,568 |
