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THERE HAS BEEN a massive increase in demand for passports, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney acknowledged today.
The issue of ongoing delays with members of the public getting their passports was raised with the minister in the Dáil today.
Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae said politicians, including himself, have been inundated with calls from people who have been waiting extended periods for their passport.
He said some have missed their flights and still do not have passports.
“I know the minister is under pressure about this service but we have to do better than we are at present,” he said.
Coveney told the Dáil that the Passport Office is currently delivering 5,000 passports a day to people in Ireland.
Last month, 170,000 passports went out successfully, he added.
The minister told the Dáil that this year, about 1.4 million passports will be processed, the highest figure in any other year, which previously stood at 900,000.
“We are talking about passport demand increasing by approximately 50% in a year. This summer, we will have 900 people in the passport office. Last summer, it was 460,” he said.
“This year, we have a special phone line for Oireachtas offices. It has been under pressure, and we are adding more people to it today. It has taken well over 10,000 calls so far this year, however.
“Obviously, we are also looking to put more people on the public call line and the webchat service.
“We are upscaling by putting far more people in to respond to a massive increase in demand, but we also rely on the public to make sure the applications are online and accurate, where possible.”
The problems are nearly always linked to first-time applicants, said the minister. Of all renewals, 43% are given back within 48 hours, he said, adding:
“It is important to focus on the positives as well as the negatives.’
His comments come as Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins said she has called on An Post and Minister Coveney to change the name of its Passport Express service for customers.
She said the description of the service as an express service is “outdated and misleading” as it is now quicker to renew passport documents online.
A debate on the delays in the Passport Office is due to be held in the Dáil on Thursday.
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I’m glad she’s mixing with all the great thinkers of the day
Bunch of tinkers alright…
Smart move by Hillary. Sort out the idiot vote
Seeing these ***res get pumped up PR wise makes me angry, I’d say I’d be even more so if I had daughters. Whats it teaching them? Don’t be intelligent, don’t work hard, don’t develop yourself don’t have a career plan, just accidentally on purpose release a porn tape of yourself naked taking a hammering from behind for the whole world to see, act dumb, ignorant and light headed, fake date a few famous guys being seen holding their hand on red carpets in front of dumb photographers and you’ll get $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$…do it the other way you can still make it…and be paid $0.70c for every situation where a man makes $1.
You can even run to become the first female President after decades of hard work and compromise…and then some PR man will tell you that you have to associate with one of the ones who released a tape of herself being jackhammered and acted like a dumb sh111t as part of bringing in the youth vote.
So right Ryan, I simply wouldn’t bother if I was her, I’d sooner not be President, it smacks of desperation if she thinks that can get her the youth vote, most young people would see through that instantly
Sadly, many, many young people actually won’t see through that, Stephen.
Maybe not Vin but they still won’t vote for her just because she took a selfie with Kim Kardashian. So she’s lost street cred with those who look down on the Kardashians – a sizeable demographic – without gaining anything in return
Even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.
Since when do young people vote?
This will be long forgotten by the time that election rolls around.
I think we a losing the concept of a selfie. What happened to a good aul photograph?
They may be lacking in the literacy department.
Seriously who cares.
I only have a vague idea who this is, I was never a big fan of Star Trek.
“Meanwhile, Kris Jenner also managed to get a selfie”
No, that’s not a selfie…
Hurry up and post the Irish Water article about the lead pipes!!! It’s been on other social media all morning! What’s keeping the Journal??
Everyone I read about the Kardashians or look at pictures of them I just shake my head
What do Kim Kardashian and Hilary Clinton have in common?
Answer:
They’re both 99% false.
Don’t mention it.
They always seem to have new dresses unlike Monica?
Wow. America is truly f*cked. I would be ashamed if I was American. Imagine having to stoop that low in order to get some publicity. The majority of that aliens followers on Twitter won’t even know who Clinton is. Probably think it’s a selfie before she goes on to the Ellen show.
exactly, imagine our country voting for a president because she had a photograph taken with a woman famous for being a cum bucket. A good looking cum bucket. but still a cum bucket.
The majority of Americans couldn’t give a fiddlers f**k about kardashian or clinton. or what others think of them.
Wow never mind her email scandal or her plummeting poll numbers. The journal has begun it’s fawning extra early!
Is there no barrel Clinton won’t scrape?
‘Barrel’? (as in oil barrel)
Subliminal puns.
Very good Stephen.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/09/hillary-clinton-fracking-shale-state-department-chevron
Oil barrel or fracking barrel?
Hanging out with Kim Kardashian? Great way to appeal to the braindead
Is anyone a little freaked out by by this alliance between the Kardashians and Klintons? What if they join forces with the Ronulans? They could be headed for the neutral zone as we speak!
This assault on the brain still isn’t as bad as the crap spewed by the GOP.
Gotta love the Dems…they’re so weak and ashamed of being liberals they are willing to vote for anyone the establishment says is ”centrist”. So you have Hillary going about with progressive language and speeches so another 08 does not happen. When she bashes the too big to fail banks who are funding her campaign they respond to the WSJ’s questions with “don’t worry, we know she doesn’t mean it”…seriously they said that.
You have a candidate faking working for the voters, a special interest group admitting that they’ve basically got the candidate bought and paid for in a major world newspaper…and yet this person is still the absolute front runner, that’s when you know you have a broken system!
so basically idiots who care about the Kardashians are being influenced to vote for Hillary for no other reason than photos with her. So in a round about way, the Kardashians are influencing the vote as to who could have their finger on the nuclear button. This is how crazzzy the world has become
Ah crap, now I have to hate Mrs Clinton.
Kim who…… Why demean yourself hanging around with a wannabe
rampant capitalist tr@mps
Made out to be a spur if the moment thing. Sad fact is that this has probably been planned for months and even sadder it will probably have a very positive effect for Hilary.
Bellends
Hang on… Fox News hosted a monster two-part Republican candidates debate last night (which may well determine the future POTUS) and The Journal stages a blackout of it. Instead they publish an article about the probable Democrat nominee getting photos taken with a family of talentless attention-junkies?
The Journal just doesn’t make sense to me anymore.
Sadly this is what all young air head voters will care about…what celeb is supporting who.
FS.
have your say