Frustrated passport applicants are turning to their local TDs in an attempt to get their travel documentation quicker.
It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs said an "elected representative temporary helpline" for TDs "does not fast track the processing of an application".
As tens of thousands of people wait for their passports to be processed, a number of TDs said they are "inundated" with constituents contacting them about passports.
Figures show 113,000 people are waiting for passports.
634,000 passports were issued in 2021 compared to 936,555 in 2019 and 450,070 in 2020.
It is expected as many as 1.7 million applications will be made in 2022.
"There are currently 100,000 online applications and 13,000 paper applications on hand with the Passport Service," Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney stated in a response to a number of written parliamentary questions by other TDs.
"Despite the disruptions related to the pandemic throughout last year, the Passport Service issued over 634,000 passports in 2021 and 45% of simple adult renewals issued within one business day," Mr Coveney said.
The figures in Mr Coveney's response show, at present, it takes; 10 working days for a simple online renewal; 15 working days for a complex or child online renewal; 40 working days for first time applicants on passport online; and eight weeks for An Post's mail-in "Passport Express" service.
Some TDs said passport applications are one of the biggest issues they are contacted about after housing.
"The biggest problem is first time passports - especially for children. These are taking months and as parents' passports are put in as part of the application there have been parents who have missed trips abroad because their passport was stuck in the application process with their child's passport application," said Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said: "After housing, passports - and people contacting us about them - is one of the biggest issues we are dealing with at the moment."
Limerick TD Willie O'Dea commented: "I'm inundated with people contacting me about passports in my constituency office. A day doesn't pass without a request. I don’t know why the system is inefficient. People should not have to go to a public representative. But when they do I am happy to represent them."
According to Minister Coveney’s response "the passport service is currently experiencing high demand for first time passports, particularly for children".
"These first time applications are necessarily complex to process, since they are essentially applications for Irish citizenship," Mr Coveney said.
"Due to the intensive analysis underpinning first time online passport applications, the processing time is 40 working days.
"There are currently 30,000 first time child applications on hand with the Passport Service.
"Of these, almost 13,000 or 43% are incomplete applications that require additional documentation," the minister added.
'It's just so frustrating'
Barrister Miranda Egan-Langley applied for passports for three of her children in November - two were passport renewals and have been received. However, the remaining one - a first time child passport application - has not been processed.
She said she received a request for documentation after she had already submitted it, including both her and her husband's passports.
"They have our originals. I didn’t send in copies. I sent in all of the originals to the Passport Office," Ms Egan-Langley said.
She added she has "tried incessantly to contact" the Passport Office but failed.
"There absolutely is no way to get in touch with them to say: 'You already have those documents' and I am due to travel next month.
"They have our passports but they are saying they don’t. That is a concern to us as well. I just can’t speak to anybody. It’s just so frustrating," she added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said "during times of high demand there can be delays in getting through to a service agent", adding that it does not comment on individual cases.
"The Customer Service Hub is fully operational and is handling over 5,000 customer contacts each week," the department said in a statement.
Limerick woman Bianca Hickey faced cancelling a Christmas holiday to Euro Disney because her child's passport did not seem to be arriving on time last November. However, she claims her fortunes changed when a TD got involved.
"I applied for my baby’s first passport in July and I was told I’d have it on 10 November. When 10 November came I gave them [passport service] a ring and they said it was only an estimated date.
"We were due to fly on 23 December. We were going to Euro Disney for Christmas - myself, the husband and the children. We didn’t know whether we’d be going because we weren’t going to leave the baby behind and we still had no passport for him," said Bianca Hickey.
Ms Hickey confirmed she finally got her passport at the end of November "a week after she contacted Willie O’Dea".
"I just had to get on to Willie O’Dea. And, Willie O’Dea made two phone calls and had it for me," she said.
She added applications in previous years for passports for her other children always resulted with the passports arriving on the estimated delivery day.
It is not clear whether Mr O’Dea’s intervention prompted the issuing of the passport but Ms Hickey feels it did.
The department, while not commenting on individual cases, confirmed TDs can call an "elected representative temporary helpline" or make representations to the Minister for their constituents. However, the department stressed this is only for an update on the application.
"It does not fast track the processing of an application. Where the application is past its estimated issue by date, it will be reviewed by a trained staff member.
"This is the same service offered directly to customers through our Customer Service Hub," the department said in a statement.
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITTA) raised concerns over access to the Passport Office with CEO Pat Dawson calling for walk-in passport services.
"The fact that the passport office is not opened - they’re only open on appointment … why is it not fully fledged open for the public like all retail.
"We call on the minister to urgently rectify it," Mr Dawson said.
On walk-ins for emergency passports, the department said in a statement "where customers wish to make an application in person the public offices are open for pre-booked appointments".
A department spokesperson said: "I would note that access to the Passport Service Public Counter is on the same basis as before Covid-19.
"Customers who wish to make a passport application in person should make an appointment in advance."
At a recent meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Dawson "expressed dissatisfaction with the backlog that’s still there".
The department confirmed a meeting with the ITTA had happened to "discuss a range of travel related issues".
The department also confirmed the passport service hired 300 staff since last June bringing the total number to 760.
'New technology coming down the line'
Minister Coveney also stated new technology is coming down the line over the next couple of years to improve processing times.
"In the context of the National Development Plan, my department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service.
"Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system," said the minister in his written response to parliamentary questions.
