Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 June 2024
4. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on proposals (details supplied) from a constituent in respect of what they believe are a double payment for passport documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26337/24]
View answerSection 15 of the Passports Act, as amended (“the Act") provides the basis for the issuing of emergency passports and emergency travel certificates (ETCs) in situations where travel documents are required urgently and there is insufficient time to obtain a passport by the normal means.
Our Embassies and Consulates abroad do not have the facility to print passports or passport cards, but can issue citizens with ETCs to facilitate their return to Ireland if their passport has been lost or stolen. It should be noted that the primary purpose of this document type is to enable those in difficulty to travel home quickly. ETCs are valid for a single journey.
The fees charged for passport and consular services are set out in the Diplomatic and Consular Fees (Amendment) Regulations of 2019 (S.I No. 259/2019). The fee for an ETC issued by an Irish Embassy or Consulate is €30 (or local equivalent). If the ETC is issued outside of office hours, an additional €80 fee can be charged.
The fee for a standard adult passport card, valid for five years, is €35. The fee paid for an emergency travel document issued by an Irish mission overseas, does not cover the cost of replacing the lost passport and/or passport card, as they are essentially two different travel documents issued with different validity.
