Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2025
193. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average processing time for passport applications whereby reckonable residency must be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57066/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 ("the 2008 Act"), as amended. The 2008 Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person.
Entitlement to Irish citizenship is determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 ("the 1956 Act"), as amended, under which Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth, by descent, or by naturalisation. The 1956 Act is under the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration.
When processing a first time application, the Passport Service must validate the identity of the applicant and confirm their entitlement to Irish citizenship.
The vast majority of applications are processed within the advertised turnaround times. Turnaround time applies to fully complete and correct applications, and begins from the date that supporting documents are received by the Passport Service, not the date the online application is made. Applications that are incorrect or incomplete will take longer to process.
With regard to the Deputy's query, it is not possible for the Passport Service to compile the requested figures for this Parliamentary Question response, as the data is not available. Passport applications that involve the calculation of a parent's reckonable residence can be complex. The Passport Service has a dedicated team of highly skilled and experienced entitlement officers who review these applications and engage directly with the applicant to ensure that all required supporting documentation is submitted.
I would ask the Deputy to encourage applicants with specific queries to contact the Passport Service for guidance and support. Applicants with any queries can contact the Customer Service Hub for assistance at +353 1 671 1633, or via the webchat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice/
Agents are available from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
