77. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason passport applications cannot be expedited or assisted by local TD offices when the estimated issue date falls after constituents confirmed date of travel, until that estimated issue date has officially passed; if she will address why this restriction remains in place even when a minimum of three weeks' notice is provided to her Department to assist with the application; and if she will make a statement of the matter. [63443/26]

The Passport Service is meeting high demand for passports and has issued over 675,000 passports to date in 2026.

The advertised passport processing times for online applications are:

• Online simple adult renewal - 10 working days

• Online child/complex adult renewal - 15 working days

• Online first time, adult or child - 20 working days

It is important to note that these processing times begin on the date the Passport Service receives any supporting documentation required to complete the application.

The Passport Service operates a phone line to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases. In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question. It is important to note that this phone line does not function as a means of expediting passport applications.

The Passport Service operates a general policy whereby applications can be expedited in cases of genuine emergency, such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.

The Passport Service advises citizens to ensure their passports are valid before booking holidays and travel.

It is the responsibility of the Passport Service to protect the integrity of the Irish passport system. As such, a rigorous process is in place to validate the identity of applicants and to confirm their citizenship status, particularly those that are applying for the first time.

In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must also be thoroughly validated. It is vitally important that the consent of a child's guardians is witnessed correctly in order to protect the integrity of the passport application process and the rights of the child and their guardians.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, supporting documents for these applications were received by the Passport Service on the 13/08/2026 and 18/08/2026. The turnaround time following receipt of supporting documents for a first time application is 20 working days. Therefore these applications are within the current turnaround times, and have not yet reached their issue by dates.

I would ask the Deputy to encourage their constituents who are considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply online and in plenty of time.