Passport Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-26
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

I thank the Deputy. I fully agree. Some of the challenges have been around the paperwork, where certain things have not been signed or where there have been follow-ups and it has not been possible to engage with certain people. If people are going to a Garda station or to get a signature from anybody, it is important they know they will be in a position to be able to follow up with the Passport Office when it re-engages.
The reason we have been able to increase the number of passports being provided while reducing the timelines involved is because of the significant investment that has gone into the Passport Office in recent years. Over the past five years, the passport service has increased its staffing resources by 75%. The Passport Office has gone from having 468 people working there to 822 people working there now, which is a significant response and increase. Year on year, we are seeing a workforce that is expanding and growing, and that is also looking to the future too. In my next contribution, I will point out the changes that are going to take place this year. While we do have an award-winning passport service, we are looking to do even more for people.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-26