New passport design aims to deter forgers

IRISH passports are to be redesigned to make them more difficult to forge.

The revamp is part of a €22 million overhaul of the passport service, including the relocation of 120 staff to Balbriggan from Dublin city centre.

The public offices in Dublin and Cork will remain at their present locations.

The number of passports being issued has almost trebled in the last 10 years, from 203,000 in 1992 to 530,000 last year.

Under the new system it will eventually be possible to apply for a passport online and for applications to be processed quicker.

The new passport will have a range of enhanced security features making it resistant to forgery and counterfeit.

Personal details and photographs will be scanned into the system and then printed onto the booklet, replacing the current typing of words and gluing of photos.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the increased level of automation and use of computerised technology will streamline the process of issuing passports.

According to the department, when completed at the end of next year, Ireland will have one of the most advanced passport issuing systems in the world.

In recent years, the number of Irish people travelling abroad has increased dramatically resulting in a huge rise in the volume of passport applications.

The last major overhaul of the passport system took place in 1993. Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen appointed BearingPoint Ireland Ltd, formerly KPMG, to head a consortium to modernise the service.

“This project will deliver a world-class passport system that meets the highest standards of security, efficiency and customer service,” Mr Cowen said.

The Office of Public Works is to build a new three-storey office block in Balbriggan to house up to 120 staff. The move to Balbriggan from Molesworth Street of the passport production unit is part of the Government’s decentralisation programme.

“With the transfer of a large number of staff to the new facility in Balbriggan, my department is making a significant contribution to the Government’s programme of decentralisation,” Mr Cowen said.

The overall cost of the project will be €22 million. Passport charges brought in €24m last year.