# Passport panic!!!



## Greg Barry (26 May 2010)

Just discovered my 4 year olds passport is out of date!  We are flying to spain on monday!  Is it possible to get a passport before then?  If you go to the passport office will you get it in the day?

Thanks

Greg


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## gocall01 (26 May 2010)

My understanding is - not a hope in hell!!!
Medical Emergency or Family Death seem to be the only incidents which may get you an emergency passport.

The work to rule is still ongoing, going on...


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## Greg Barry (26 May 2010)

yikes! not helping.


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## sam h (26 May 2010)

where are you based?  the Cork office (from what I've heard) seems to be better than the Dublin one.

Regardless, go in & be ready to turn on the tears (seems to work better for women.....better still bring in the 4 year old & get them to turn on the water works)


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## Greg Barry (26 May 2010)

Can't get to Cork but am going to go to Dublin and see what happens!  Tears can be turned on!!


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## doubledeb (26 May 2010)

I don't think the work to rule is still ongoing, the problem is staff aren't being replaced when therefore they are understaffed.  I doubt you'll be heading on your hols though.


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## gillarosa (26 May 2010)

Make sure you have all required documents / photo's with you and in order, including details of your detarture date, I have found them really accomodating in the past, I know its a different situation now with the back-log but fingers crossed you will be looked after before close of business on Friday.


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## gocall01 (26 May 2010)

doubledeb said:


> I don't think the work to rule is still ongoing, the problem is staff aren't being replaced when therefore they are understaffed. I doubt you'll be heading on your hols though.


 
Posted 2 different passport applications yesterday and was told it would take 4-6 weeks as the work to rule is ongoing...

Anyway, I hope the waterworks works for y'all.


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## doubledeb (26 May 2010)

The work to rule about answering the phones etc is over.  The delay is because they are not doing other peoples work from vacancies that are currently there. 
Sorry should have made that clearer.


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## Greg Barry (26 May 2010)

Fingers crossed folks!  All contacts contacted, bribee's bribed and favours called in!!  Have all the documentation I need so I'll sit there until Friday evening if I have to!!


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## doubledeb (26 May 2010)

Hope you get there, enjoy it


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## demoivre (26 May 2010)

Make sure you bring proof of travel dates to get passport issued on the day of application. There is also a Public Counter Urgent Fee of €55 on top of the €80.


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## demoivre (26 May 2010)

Posted twice !


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## Greg Barry (27 May 2010)

Well "no chance"  was the correct answer!  No holiday next week!  Thanks for the replies!


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## TheShark (27 May 2010)

You are joking??
Can you elaborate any more on what happened in there?


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## fizzelina (28 May 2010)

Oh, sorry to hear it. I know it's a lesson learned but so disappointing :-(


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## Greg Barry (28 May 2010)

Went to passport office to plead my case and was not entertained!  Basically told that management won't let them discuss or consider any cases and the quickest i could have a passport for my daughter is 25 working days! (and thats not guarenteed!)  As a point of interest, Cork is 20 days and they are much more plesent than Dublin!!


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## BOXtheFOX (28 May 2010)

Were the staff in the passport office "taking pleasure" at turning people away did you feel?


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## elcato (28 May 2010)

> Cork is 20 days and they are much more plesent than Dublin!!


Yes but where are the staff from ?


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## Shawady (28 May 2010)

Greg Barry said:


> Went to passport office to plead my case and was not entertained! Basically told that management won't let them discuss or consider any cases and the quickest i could have a passport for my daughter is 25 working days! (and thats not guarenteed!) As a point of interest, Cork is 20 days and they are much more plesent than Dublin!!


 
Have you tried Balbriggen office. During the dispute I thought I read something about that office not really being affected by the dispute.
Maybe you could go out in person?


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## callybags (28 May 2010)

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0528/passport.html

Looks like it could finally be getting sorted.


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## Nermal (29 May 2010)

1234 said:


> They are the only person responible for not leaving enough time to apply.



That's just risible. Only an organisation unexposed to competition could think of the service level they provide, even when they're not striking, as acceptable. The sooner this function is privatised the better.

Also, strikes are supposed to inconvenience management, not the public. Have they considered not charging for passports but still processing them? They might gain the government's attention faster and not remind the public of their gross inefficiency.


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## shesells (29 May 2010)

Nermal said:


> That's just risible. Only an organisation unexposed to competition could think of the service level they provide, even when they're not striking, as acceptable. The sooner this function is privatised the better.



Passports are important and valuable national documents. I would prefer that time is normally taken over them...as it is when normal service is in place. I certainly would not want a private company processing such sensitive documents.

It is a pity the OP didn't notice the passport date before last week, I would have thought that all the attention given to the strikes this year would have had everyone double checking theirs? Without checking I can tell you mine expires July 2017...as I've known since I got it...but I travel a lot and my passport is one of my most treasured possessions.


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## tenchi-fan (29 May 2010)

I got my passport on Tuesday (5 weeks approx)
Since I applied I understand the wait got even longer.

There is no reason why low-paid, contract staff shouldn't be employed to work through the night issuing passports.. with priority for straightforward cases, tax-payers (after all, workers rely on their 2 weeks off in the summer) and people with Irish birth certs. 

Having said that, if I was working in the passport office it would be strictly first come, first serve. From working in a callcentre environment I find I can deal with a lot more straight-forward queries in the same time it takes to deal with one irate customer shouting the odds.


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## redchariot (29 May 2010)

shesells said:


> It is a pity the OP didn't notice the passport date before last week, I would have thought that all the attention given to the strikes this year would have had everyone double checking theirs? Without checking I can tell you mine expires July 2017...as I've known since I got it...but I travel a lot and my passport is one of my most treasured possessions.



I am glad that somebody came out and said it. With all the publicity that the passport office crisis has been given in the last few months, everybody should be aware of when their passport is due to expire (mine 2nd August 2015 without looking); well at least they should know if it is due to expire within the next 12 months and be prepared to renew well ahead if this is the case.

I am sorry to hear that the OP had to cancel a holiday but to be honest has only self to blame.


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## 4th estate (30 May 2010)

redchariot said:


> I am glad that somebody came out and said it. With all the publicity that the passport office crisis has been given in the last few months, everybody should be aware of when their passport is due to expire (mine 2nd August 2015 without looking); well at least they should know if it is due to expire within the next 12 months and be prepared to renew well ahead if this is the case.
> 
> I am sorry to hear that the OP had to cancel a holiday but to be honest has only self to blame.



If I sound smug here, I apologise..... but...

I was in Spain on holidays last year, and we went to Seville for an overnight trip. Got to the hotel, they asked for our passports, and of course neither of us had them. Didn't think! Bit of a problem so.

But, I knew the number and expiry date of mine, and the hotel gladly took those details and let us in!

Yes, everyone should know at least the year of expiry, and get the ball rolling.

I got mine renewed recently, and the turnaround was exactly 20 days.

Unless you don't plant to travel, and have an emergency trip to take, there is no excuse for not renewing well ahead. Lessons learnt.


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## fizzelina (31 May 2010)

shesells said:


> I certainly would not want a private company processing such sensitive documents.
> .


 
Private companies process sensitive documents all the time - this is not really a valid argument. One example is companies who take away bins of paper for shredding. Presumably with passports the company would be very well vetted if privatisation happened.


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## dereko1969 (31 May 2010)

tenchi-fan said:


> I got my passport on Tuesday (5 weeks approx)
> Since I applied I understand the wait got even longer.
> 
> There is no reason why low-paid, contract staff shouldn't be employed to work through the night issuing passports.. with priority for straightforward cases, tax-payers (after all, workers rely on their 2 weeks off in the summer) and *people with Irish birth certs*.
> ...


 
Can you clarify why you felt the need to mention this part? Is it just casual racism/xenophobia? 

I was born in the UK, have a UK birth cert, both my parents are Irish born and I've lived here since I was 6 months old and you think I should be put to the back of the queue?

You're also stating that unemployed people should be put to the back of the queue too.

It's like the 1930's all over again.....


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## SlugBreath (5 Jun 2010)

dereko1969 said:


> I was born in the UK, have a UK birth cert, both my parents are Irish born and I've lived here since I was 6 months old and you think I should be put to the back of the queue?


 
Well maybe not the back but.....


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## Greg Barry (23 Jun 2010)

redchariot said:


> I am glad that somebody came out and said it. With all the publicity that the passport office crisis has been given in the last few months, everybody should be aware of when their passport is due to expire (mine 2nd August 2015 without looking); well at least they should know if it is due to expire within the next 12 months and be prepared to renew well ahead if this is the case.
> 
> I know when MY passport expires!  I have never had to worry about anyone elses passport before.  It was my daughters passport that was out of date and it was an oversight on our behalf but we are only human.


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## RAINDODGER (23 Jun 2010)

Is it quicker to  use express post for renewal of childs passport or are you better of attending in person?.
Can go to the cork office.
Any one any idea of the time span?


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## paddyc (24 Jun 2010)

I know somebody who got an emergency passport for her daughter issued on the day she turned up at the passport office in Cork ...would have been around April. They were travelling 1 or 2 days later. 

They might have been able to get it quick as a judge had granted something to enable getting the passport as the father was un-reachable at the time to give his consent to the child getting a new passport etc.


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## soy (26 Jun 2010)

3 weeks minimum since the industrial dispute started. This applies to turning up in person or using passport express


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## Marietta (26 Jun 2010)

Greg Barry said:


> redchariot said:
> 
> 
> > I am glad that somebody came out and said it. With all the publicity that the passport office crisis has been given in the last few months, everybody should be aware of when their passport is due to expire (mine 2nd August 2015 without looking); well at least they should know if it is due to expire within the next 12 months and be prepared to renew well ahead if this is the case.
> ...


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## Papercut (26 Jun 2010)

*Passport Reminder Service*



Marietta said:


> why can't the authorities send us a reminder when our passports are coming near to their expiry date like they do the television licence or the car tax.


 T_he Passport Reminder Service is a service which will send you a reminder by e-mail three months before your passport is due to expire. To register for this service, please click on the link below and input your name, e-mail address and the expiry date of your passport. 
_
_www.eforms.gov.ie/reminder/passport/_

_ You may register a number of different passports (e.g. all members of a family) using the one e-mail address (input each individual name and expiry date and click reminder). You will then receive the reminder by e-mail three months before the passport is due to expire and the e-mail will inform you which passport is about to expire _
_ This reminder e-mail will also provide you with links providing details of how you can renew your passport, where to obtain passport application forms, etc._

_ You can edit your details at any time by clicking on the 'update reminder' link and entering the e-mail address you registered with. You will then be sent an e-mail to this e-mail address. When you click on the link in this e-mail all passports registered under this e-mail address will appear. You can chose to edit, the name, expiry date of passport or the e-mail address for each entry. 
_
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=81861


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## babydays (30 Jun 2010)

brilliant papercut. thanks for that link.


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## foxylady (30 Jun 2010)

soy said:


> 3 weeks minimum since the industrial dispute started. This applies to turning up in person or using passport express


 

While industrial action took a toll on passport applications - it has ended a long time ago also the backlog was initially down to the fact that one of the passport machines was broken


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## Greg Barry (30 Jun 2010)

Well the passport arrived on Monday!!  I got a friend to drop it into the cork office and they were true to their work and had it turned around in 20 days.  We transferred flights which has doubled the cost of the holiday but at least we are getting away!  Thanks for all the imput and thank you papercut for that link!


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## Billo (30 Jun 2010)

Thanks Papercut for reminder link. Very useful.


I got on to Customer care Balbriggan a while back at

01 6733150/3152


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