Woman released without charge over passport fraud

An employee of the Passport Office has been released without charge this evening.

The woman in her 30s was arrested yesterday afternoon as part of a criminal investigation into passport fraud. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A colleague of the woman, a 30-year-old man who was arrested in Skerries in north Dublin yesterday morning was also released without charge following questioning at Balbriggan Garda station earlier today.

An investigation was launched by the Passport Office in May when internal checks revealed irregularities in the issuance of two passports.

The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation was informed and a joint investigation was launched.

In a statement the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Passport Service “takes the issue of passport fraud very seriously and in the last number of years has strengthened measures to identify and prevent potential fraud”.

Customer services provided by the Passport Office will not be impacted during the ongoing inquiry.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said the alleged fraud  did not pose any risk to Irish passport holders.

Speaking today, Mr Gilmore said “we have in place in the passport service very thorough anti-fraud measures.

“You can take it from this episode those measures have worked and are working,” he said today.

“We issue something like 600,000 passports each year. It is unfortunate at any time if there is fraud associated with an Irish passport. It is something we take it very seriously and that it why it is being investigated by the gardaí,” he added.