76. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff, whole-time equivalents employed in her Department on 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63351/26]

Over the past ten years the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has grown as we have delivered improved services to our citizens in Ireland and overseas and have successfully met global opportunities and challenges.

Between 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2026 the number of staff (expressed in whole-time equivalents) has increased from 1,323.73 to 2,460.82.

The Department’s Passport Service has grown as it provides improved, secure and timely passport service to our citizens, issuing close to 1 million passports annually, within expected turnaround times. In addition to meeting the high demand for passports and Foreign Birth Registrations, the Passport Service also continues to invest in ongoing reform and digitisation projects with the Irish passport recognised around the world as one of the most trusted travel documents. As the demand for passports has increased, and the security technology requirements to be met have also grown, some 300 additional people have been recruited to work in the Passport Service over the past ten years.

Another driver of the Department’s growth is delivery on the 'Global Ireland – Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025' programme which set out Government’s ambitions to expand and deepen Ireland’s international presence. Under this programme, Ireland’s global network of diplomatic missions has grown by a third since 2018 enabling us to deepen our impact across priority regions, provide opportunities to grow our trade and inward investment, strengthen political relationships with our partners, promote our values, and support Irish citizens and our diaspora abroad. The effectiveness of our presence abroad has also been increased by targeted deepening of resources in existing diplomatic missions, and at headquarters to support a larger Department.

Staffing figures in 2026 also include some 180 people working in temporary roles to deliver Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.