# Free Passports for over-65s !



## redstar (20 Jul 2005)

Saw ad in paper yesterday from Dept of Foreign Affairs

"Gratis Passports for over-65's"

(Why didn't they just say 'free' instead of 'gratis' ! Do they not really want people to know about this, or am I being over-cynical      )

Anyway, the announcement is at...

[broken link removed]


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## daltonr (22 Jul 2005)

> Minister Ahern said: "I am very pleased that the life-long contribution to society of our senior citizens is being further recognised by the introduction of free passports. This will benefit over 60,000 such persons annually – about 10% of those who apply for passports annually. The current €25 fee is being abolished as and from 1 August. Anyone aged 65 and over from then will not be required to pay the fee for the issue of a 10 year passport.


 
I'm all for ANYTHING that gives a little back, but is the Minister really claiming that the life-long contribution of senior citizens is in any way respected or reflected in this announcement?

Saving them the sum total of €25 over 10 years.   I'm sure the €2.50 a year will be cherished by those who receive it.   Anyone who can afford to travel abroad can afford €25 for a passport, and anyone who can't afford to travel abroad isn't going to need one.

Now wait for the cost of passports for everyone else to increase to not just recoup this,  but recoup even more.   Does anyone know what negative news story this pointless announcement was intended to cover up?

Any chance we could get a few extra Gardai so that the senior citizens who can't travel to decent countries can at least feel safe in the one they're stuck in?   No?   Didn't think so.

-Rd


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## ubiquitous (22 Jul 2005)

This sort of positive thinking is so uplifting... :lol


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## Janet (22 Jul 2005)

I didn't think over-65's were able to get a ten-year passport - don't they have to renew every year or something?  Or is it just that it's possible for them to just get a yearly one as is the case up until the time you're 18.


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## Vanilla (22 Jul 2005)

Janet, are you thinking about driving licences:-



> If you are under 60 years of age you may apply for a 10 year or 3 year licence.
> __If you are over 60 but under 67 years of age you may apply for a licence which will expire when you reach 70 years of age or for a 3 year licence.
> __If you are over 67 but under 70 years of age you may apply for a three year licence.
> __If you are over 70 years of age you may apply for a 3 year or 1 year licence subject to certification of fitness to drive by your doctor.
> ...


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## daltonr (22 Jul 2005)

> This sort of positive thinking is so uplifting... :lol


 




> It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity of an animal. The eyeless creature at the other table swallowed it fanatically, passionately, with a furious desire to track down, denounce, and vaporize anyone who should suggest that last week the ration had been thirty grammes. Syme, too-in some more complex way, involving doublethink, Syme swallowed it. Was he, then, alone in the possession of a memory?


 
George Orwell, 1984.


-Rd


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## Guest127 (22 Jul 2005)

janet; passports for children under 3 are for 3 years (€15) for 3 to 17 are for 5  years (€25) and over 18 are for 10 years (€75) Senior citizens ( age not defined) is €25 for 10 years.
an  post charge €7 for handling/posting/returning the passport within 10 working days, in effect 15 days from start to finish excluding bank holidays. I assume the government in their 'generosity' will pay an post this €7 but I wouldn't bet on it. At least the oldies will have proper id now to enter nite clubs and not fake id like most teenagers.


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## Guest127 (1 Aug 2005)

passports for over 65's are free from tomorrow. an post is charging the €7 for a single application and €10 for up to 4 family members. Government refused to pay this part of the service.


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