Irish passport redesign based on natural environment and extra security set to be approved

The Irish passport is to be given a new theme with a redesign relating to the country’s natural environment due to be approved by the Cabinet.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin will on Tuesday inform Ministers of plans for a public engagement process to create a new design for the passport.

The project to redesign the passport is to begin later this year and is being conducted in order to provide the latest security features but also to “continue to communicate Irish culture and values,” Mr Martin will tell the meeting.

The current passport book is 10 years old and the International Civil Aviation Authority recommends documents undergo frequent revamps to include the latest security features.

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A design team in the Department of Foreign Affairs is currently considering themes which are understood to be “anchored in Ireland’s natural environment”.

[ Over 1m passports issued in ‘record-breaking year’ ]

[ Irish passport applications to be processed quicker in online change ]

A public consultation will take place through a short online questionnaire, which is to be available from Wednesday, where citizens will be asked to consider which Irish flora and fauna they think should be included in the design.

A procurement process will also have to be run to appoint a passport manufacturer. This will likely happen later in the year and the new passport is expected to be available before the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is to ask his fellow Ministers to note plans to proceed with the construction of 853 homes on a Dublin City Council site at Oscar Traynor Road in Dublin 17.

The development will be made up of social houses, cost rental and affordable purchase homes, split on a 40 per cent, 40 per cent and 20 per cent basis.

This will involve the construction of 343 social homes, 340 cost rental homes and 170 affordable purchase homes. Construction should begin immediately, with ground works understood to be already under way.

Separately, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is to bring plans on creating “buffer zones” preventing protests outside clinics providing abortion services. Ministers are expected to approve the legislation – the Safe Access Zones Bill 2023 – which introduces protest-free “buffer zones” and would go forward to the Oireachtas imminently.

The introduction of buffer zones was a key commitment in the 2020 programme for government and the legislation is to start its passage through the Oireachtas before the summer recess.

Under the Bill there will be a ban on impeding access or influencing decisions in relation to termination of pregnancy services within a “safe access zone” surrounding certain healthcare premises providing the services.

The zones will extend to 100m from an entrance or exit to a premises where such services could be provided, such as GP practices, maternity hospitals and family planning clinics. The right to protest or advocate in favour or against abortion will be preserved – except in the 100m covered by the safe access zones.

There will also be strong enforcement provisions in the Bill.

The legislation is understood to say that An Garda Síochána will give people an opportunity to comply with the legislation by first issuing a “warning”. The criminal offence will occur only if the person engages in prohibited conduct after the warning is issued.

This is in line with a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Health, which also said there would be a requirement for gardaí to maintain records of warnings issued.

Offences will be prosecuted in the District Court and penalties will be on an escalating basis, with the harshest applying for repeat offences. Fines up to €2,500 and/or up to six months in prison will be included in the legislation for repeat offences.