As the summer season approaches Fianna Fail Deputy Robert Troy is urging all constituents who are booking trips abroad to ensure their passports are in date, and if applying for a first time passport, or renewal, to do so in plenty of time.
“My office has already seen a substantial increase in the number of urgent passport queries which we are dealing with, and this will only increase as we approach the summer. If people are planning trips during the summer it is important that they act now and ensure all passports for the household are in date. First time applications for children have to go through substantial examinations and therefore take substantially longer than straightforward renewals,” Deputy Troy said.
The Passport service have reported huge demand for new or replacement passports so far this year and while in the main passports will issue within the guideline timeframes applicants are reminded that delays can occur for a variety of reasons.
“There are a number of issues which we witness quite regularly with regard to applications, for example there have been instances where a Garda will witness a child’s application, however if it is not a full time Garda station then the passport office may not be able to verify the application. Please make sure you get the application witnessed at a full time station to avoid this unnecessary delay.
“There are also regularly issues with the quality of photograph submitted, though the online renewal site advises that pictures can be taken at home it is best to have them taken by a professional and uploaded via email. The main thing to keep in mind is to apply in plenty of time and there will then be time to iron out any issues which may arise particularly if you choose to apply through the post office with a paper application. The online option is the fastest avenue for all straightforward applications” Deputy Troy commented.
Social media protection
Meanwhile, Deputy Troy has said that the party has committed to protecting young people online as a top priority.
Deputy Troy was speaking after a recent RTÉ Primetime programme and research from DCU showed social media algorithms increasingly expose young people to “toxic” content on platforms such as TikTok.
“Parents right across the country are increasingly worried about the impact on children of social media and being constantly online. Research and documentaries such as the recent RTÉ Primetime programme clearly show mental health, educational and social damage to many children. However, parents and schools struggle to know what to do to help.
“Fianna Fáil, as the party that holds the Health and Education portfolios, has committed to preparing a joint initiative on online safety for children. We must provide clear and accessible guidance to parents on what to do concerning children and the online world.
“Not only will we give schools funding to support the banning of smartphone use during school time, but we will also be impressing the need on social media companies to get underage children off their apps and enforcing those steps if these companies do not.
“Online safety and getting children off their screens, away from toxic content and back talking to each other is an objective we should all share across society and is a top priority for Fianna Fáil in government,” Deputy Troy concluded.
