26 March 2023
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork East Constituency Fine Gael TD, David Stanton, has emphasised the need for anybody considering travelling abroad for business or pleasure to make sure they have a valid, up to date passport prior to booking any flight, ferry or accommodation abroad.
Deputy Stanton said: “The stress that people experience having spent, quite often, a considerable sum of money on booking a family holiday, only to discover that not all passports are in order can be overwhelming and this happens more often than one would think.
“I therefore strongly encourage those looking to travel in the coming months to check the validity of all passports now and where necessary apply to the Passport Office, in good time, if a renewal or a first-time passport is required.
“The turnaround time for online applications is usually quite fast provided the application is a straightforward renewal. However, applications for first time passports for children or for long expired adult passports can take considerably longer at over 20 working days, on average. If possible, applicants should look to submit their passport applications online via the Department of Foreign Affairs website given that physical paper-based applications via the Post Passport system can take 8 weeks or more to be processed.
“Don’t take a chance and ensure that all passports are in order before making any foreign travel arrangements,” Deputy Stanton concluded.
