It takes up to 40 days to get a child’s first time passport, while the wait time is even longer when using the Passport Express service, according to a Dublin TD.
Fine Gael Dublin TD Emer Higgins is calling for the Passport Express service to be renamed, as she argues it is misleading.
Deputy Higgins said the express service’s title must be changed so that it is clear to customers that it is “not the fastest method of application."
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Deputy Higgins said, “Every week my office is still encountering people who have applied for their passport through the Passport Express method because they understandably think that the name implies it must be the fastest method, but it is not.
"This is an issue I raised a couple of months ago and I know that An Post and Minister Coveney have been engaging on it but we need to see it being changed as soon as possible to avoid the ongoing confusion that we are encountering among the public."
Deputy Higgins said that children's first time passports are taking "around 40 days because they come with additional complications" due to the need to verify parent/guardianship and other factors.
“Between 4,000 and 5,000 passports are being issued every day, and we’re expecting about 1.4 million applications this year. There are three locations and staff levels will increase to 900 from 600 previously, with the vast majority of applications being processed very smoothly.
"I am concerned, however, about the people who will be disappointed and have to cancel travel plans and lose money because they applied through Passport Express thinking it would be the quickest way."
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Deputy Higgins described the Passport Express channel as a "vital service" for people who do not wish to use the online system or who have limited digital skills, but thinks it is time that Passport Express underwent a name change.
"A simple name change would prevent a lot of confusion, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later,” concluded Deputy Higgins.
It comes as the head of the Irish Passport Service has issued advice to those sending in applications this summer.
Siobhan Byrne is director of the service in the Department of Foreign Affairs and has asked the public to take note of some factors before applying.
Speaking on Newstalk's Hard Shoulder, she emphasised that when applying online, your application does not process until you send in the relevant documentation.
Read more: Passport Office: How to apply for a child's passport and the documents you need
She said: "One thing that people get a little bit confused on is that when they apply for a passport online, that wouldn't be when the processing timeline starts.
"It doesn't start until they actually send in the documents.
"And sometimes that can take weeks, or even months, in some occasions for people to send the documents into us.
"So the clock really only starts ticking when we receive the documentation.
"And other times there can be issues with the documentation that's received, and so we may have to go back to the applicant to get certain things clarified or ask for more documentation."
Ms Byrne also warned that paper applications through the An Post system take significantly longer to process.
"Paper applications do take longer to process - it doesn't really matter whether it's a renewal application or a first-time application," she said.
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