Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Tánaiste to relay, on behalf of all Members, our gratitude to the people who work in the passport offices. At times, they must deal with customers in a state of distress because of their having to travel in emergencies. Even a person going on holiday may be in a distressed state if he or she finds he or she does not have a passport with which to travel in a day or two. All I can say about everybody working in the service is that they are courteous, kind and understanding. They may be working in pressurised circumstances in many cases and dealing with people who are upset. Having said all that, I really believe our airlines could be more proactive. If when booking a holiday, the passenger were specifically asked to give a passport number and expiry date, it would help.

Enhancing the service in the Cork office would require further investment but it would create balance and take pressure off the office in Dublin. It would service the lower part of the country. One could get a passport and avail of a printing service in Cork.

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