Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My question is somewhat related to that of Deputy Smith. Some people lose their passports or their passports may be stolen just when they are about to travel. I dealt with a case of this nature recently, but the Passport Office was completely intransigent on the issue. It would not budge from the regulations because there was no bereavement involved. Some leeway should be allowed because such situations do arise. The case I mention was not a case in which somebody neglected to renew a passport in time, but one in which a passport had been stolen two evenings before the person was due to travel. The result was that the person was unable to travel, but that situation was not covered by insurance.