Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
161. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current weekly appointment capacity at the Cork Passport Office urgent service; the measures in place to manage peak demand and to expand on this capacity ahead of the summer period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23025/26]
View answerThe Passport Service is successfully meeting high demand for passports and has issued over 224,000 passports to date this year.
There are 240 four-day renewal appointments available in the Passport Office Cork every week. In 2025, just 15% of all appointments available in Cork were booked. Currently, 1% of all passport applicants apply through the public counters in Dublin and Cork.
Adequate staffing of the Passport Service remains a priority for the Department, and is an issue that is kept under constant review. Each year, my Department undertakes extensive advance workforce planning based on forecasted demand for passports. The staff requirement to meet forecasted demand for the coming year is signed off annually by the Department's Management Board. As a result of this planning, the Passport Service is well-resourced to meet forecasted demand for 2026 and to ensure that excellent customer service is maintained throughout periods of peak demand.
Passport Online is the quickest, easiest and most cost effective way to apply for a passport, and offers citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This award-winning service has allowed for the centralisation of passport processing and has resulted in greater efficiencies for our citizens.
The Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity. Each year the Passport Service rolls out an extensive public communications campaign to encourage citizens to apply through Passport Online in plenty of time before travel.
