Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department provides a Duty Officer Service outside normal office hours to deal with matters requiring immediate attention. This includes the issuance of passports in situations of genuine urgency or emergencies such as death or serious injury or illness abroad of a close relative or a medical emergency relating to the applicant him/herself. We do not have facilities out of hours to issue passports containing biometric chips. Therefore the emergency passport issued does not qualify for the United States Visa Waiver Programme. Someone wishing to travel to the United States on such a passport must obtain a Visa, in advance of their travel, from the US authorities.