Irish passport to get a facelift under €550,000 redesign

'The Irish passport is recognised as a trusted and secure travel document. High-quality design of the new passport book and card is central to maintaining the integrity and reputation of the Irish passport.' Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Europe

The Irish passport is set to get a facelift, with the Department of Foreign Affairs to spend up to €550,000 on its redesign.

As well as requiring a redesign in “order to maintain the integrity of the passport service”, the department said it must “incorporate modern security measures with images of Irish culture that represent Irish heritage — our diverse culture, ecology and communities”.

Having already issued over 800,000 passports this year, compared to 935,000 last year, the department said it wanted its new design to be ready in about four to six months.

It said: “The development of the new generation of Irish passport book is of crucial important — in terms of security, the integrity of the Irish passport, supporting the objectives of the Irish Government, meeting the needs of Irish citizens and as a medium for the communication of Irish culture and values.

The Irish passport is recognised as a trusted and secure travel document. High-quality design of the new passport book and card is central to maintaining the integrity and reputation of the Irish passport.” 

It added the finished product would incorporate “modern, proven security features with Irish cultural and heritage themes”.

The new passport design will be rolled out across the standard 32-page passport book, the larger 64-page one, the emergency travel passport, the diplomatic and official passport, the passport card and the emergency travel certificate.

The Passport Office has been under consistent pressure over the last few years as the number of applications in the system has remained very high, with some applicants waiting months at a time to receive their passport.

During periods of Covid restrictions, reduced staffing was in operation and the Department of Foreign Affairs has aimed to boost worker numbers to reduce backlogs.

According to the DFA website, the current turnaround time for simple passport renewals is 10 working days.

However, a first-time application is currently taking up to eight weeks, when done through the paper-based service from An Post. The department said turnaround times have improved due to “significant investment”.

Nevertheless, the number of applications about service at the Passport Office rose from 71 pre-pandemic to 397 in the first half of 2022.

Complaints

The department said the increase in complaints came due to the high level of demand for passports, particularly first-time passports, as well as challenges experienced by the passport service in the wake of pandemic-related restrictions over the last two years.

It told the Public Accounts Committee the majority of complaints relate to processing times for first-time and complex applications, as well as difficulties in contacting the passport service.

In June, a new system of Garda certification was introduced in a bid to issue passports as quickly as possible amid record applications.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told Fine Gael party members that an agreement had been struck with As Garda Síochána on witnessing first-time child applications.

About 50 applications a day were being stalled, with those applying being asked to get new consent forms because officials in the passport office are unable to contact the witnessing gardaí around the country.