Passport Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-26
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Carol Nolan (IND), Offaly

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As I said earlier, I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. As the Deputy is aware, passports, in particular children's passports for family holidays, are an important topic for Members as we approach the busy summer travel period. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade wishes to assure Members that the passport service is in an excellent position to deliver on the demand forecast for the rest of the year. Last week alone, 21,000 passports were issued.
In relation to the data held in a passport, it is only possible for the passport services to follow the recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The function of the data held in a passport is to confirm the passport holder's identity and nationality. A child travelling abroad must have their own passport and cannot be included on their guardian's passport. The Department strongly urges anyone who is considering travelling overseas, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking their tickets and to apply online for their passports in plenty of time.
I have no doubt that Deputy Ward will be following up with the Minister directly on foot of the questions he has posed. With his legal background he will be able to outline precisely the changes he feels could be made on a practical level to reflect the argument he is espousing on behalf of his constituents.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-26