Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

Deputy McNamara is not in the Chamber so I will divide the time with Deputy Pringle.

I listened to the Minister of State's update on the passport service and the unprecedented number of passport applications that have been received and processed by the Passport Office. I accept that to a point, but the fact that we are a year into this means that patience is beginning to get thin. As we have heard, many Deputies are representing large numbers of constituents who are in a panic as they wait for passports to be issued. I have dealt with a number of families who have had to cancel holidays. Some have insurance, but some do not and that has caused financial losses. Needless to say, there is a great deal of anger about that. These are families who have been given their holidays from their workplace on a certain date and they put in their applications well in advance, but they had to cancel their holidays. It is just not good enough.

It should not be up to Deputies to make these representations. There is a Passport Office and workers are getting paid to do the job. A huge number of passport applications are coming in so we should get more staff in to deal with them more quickly. A member of my staff said to me yesterday that there should be separate verification to check that all the verifications are up to date. We are just hitting brick walls with people waiting six months. I can give two examples that I am dealing with at present. The main issue appears to be first-time passports for children and adults. The other area where there is a problem with delays is in the General Register Office where, when the child is born, one has to wait for the birth certificate to come through. The holiday is booked and there are panic stations getting the stuff in. Then there are calls from the Passport Office for more information or about the need for something else. The idea of even temporarily redeploying staff for three months into the verification area is something that should be examined very quickly.

With regard to the hotline, there are days one cannot get through while on other days one can. A man rang me about it on Monday morning. I do not have time to say much more, but I have been dealing with people who applied in January and had an issue date in April but then they were informed that they had to provide more information. It is just ridiculous carry-on; it is just not good enough.

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