70,000 passports now in backlog

Permabear · 27-04-2010 2:10pm #1

This post has been deleted.

danman · 27-04-2010 2:18pm

We've applied for passports for my 5 month old daughter and my 3 year old sons passport is up in July, so we applied for his too.

It's ridiculous that we have to wait so long for a basic civic right.

But then again, perhaps we should have applied for my daughters passport 6 months ago, as was suggested in previous passport threads.

PCPhoto · 27-04-2010 2:19pm

and no doubt they will be looking for OVERTIME to clear the backlog !!! (which they caused !!!)

danman · 27-04-2010 2:28pm

PCPhoto wrote: »

and no doubt they will be looking for OVERTIME to clear the backlog !!! (which they caused !!!)

In fairness, overtime was probably a contributing factor to not having backlogs in previous years.

But they need to allow the temp staff in and train them.
Not holding my breath for that one.

brianwalshcork · 27-04-2010 2:31pm

With 4100 applications per day & 250 working days per year (roughly), that comes to one million applications per year.

Is everyone winding the passport office employees up by applying for passports that they don't need, or is the population of ireland actually approaching 10 million?

Cookie_Monster · 27-04-2010 2:34pm

I would assume that this is just due to the peak season on advance of holidays?

The main reason for this is bad planning on peoples part, not leaving enough time to get the passport re-issued and leaving it until a month before going away instead of when there is 6 months or so to go.

how can 650,000 people need a new passport every year, thats baffling...
a (very simple) calculation would mean theres about 6.5m passport holders if they all have 10 year ones, now clearly they don't but 90% of them would I'd say plus another % of people who don't even have one, doesn't seem to justify the numbers IMO.

Permabear · 27-04-2010 2:40pm

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OhNoYouDidn't · 27-04-2010 2:51pm

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

How long did it take to get an eircom line before privatisation? A month?

How long does it take now? Over a year.

That argument doesn't hold up in the real world. There are no actual examples of the private sector in Ireland doing anything more efficiently than the public service.

But it comes down to one fundamental question. What exactly did you expect to happen when the government made cuts? Services to remain at previous levels?

OhNoYouDidn't · 27-04-2010 2:53pm

PCPhoto wrote: »

and no doubt they will be looking for OVERTIME to clear the backlog !!! (which they caused !!!)

Wrong way of looking at it. The service worked because of overtime, now its been cut, it doesn't.

Thats generally what happens when you cut peoples hours, less work gets done.

Taxipete29 · 27-04-2010 3:08pm

DF your philosophy promotes responsibility for ones own actions. This problem has been obvious for a while so is it not peoples own fault if they have let their passport lapse and find themselves in desperate need of a passport to go on holidays??

bobbysands81 · 27-04-2010 3:40pm

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The truth is out at last!!!

The Industrial Action in the Passport Office was not the only reason why there were delays, it might have been a contributory factor but NOT the reason.

Amazing that this is only coming to light now considering that the Govt have presided over the scapegoating of its own workers.

Nobody seems to remember the floods in Molesworth Street a couple of months ago that caused the offices to close, nor the passport printing machine that broke down and wasn't fixed quick enough just so the Govt could continue slating the workers, nor the fact that there's a recruitment ban and staff that have left hadn't been replaced, nor the fact that staff have had their wages cut by circa 15%, nor the fact that management refused to allow passport office staff to prioritise those that needed their passports quicker, nor the fact that the Irish Times was spoonfed a story by the Govt on a Friday that the offices would close for good on the Monday in order to cause even more mayhem and chaos, nor the fact that this is the busiest time of year and there's always delays, nor the fact that Govt cutbacks have naturally affected the service nor the fact that all of the above has caused unprecedented demand...

Anybody who has worked in the Civil Service will tell you that the most expensive thing to do is to employ the private sector to do something for you. We had one of the best passport systems in Europe (probably the best) until late last year when the Govt decided to pull funding.

Blame the Govt, not the workers.

MagicSean · 27-04-2010 3:43pm

What did people expect. The passport service only worked because the staff worked so much overtime. They were vilified in the press for their greed. Now that they aren't working overtime they are being scapegoated again.

OhNoYouDidn't · 27-04-2010 3:45pm

k_mac wrote: »

What did people expect. The passport service only worked because the staff worked so much overtime. They were vilified in the press for their greed. Now that they aren't working overtime they are being scapegoated again.

Bingo.

You would almost swear there was an agenda at play...

danman · 27-04-2010 4:01pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I
The main reason for this is bad planning on peoples part, not leaving enough time to get the passport re-issued and leaving it until a month before going away instead of when there is 6 months or so to go.

that's all well and good, but when do you propose I apply for a passport for my 5 month old daughter.
Also, considering she spent the first 3 months of her life in hospital.

I know my daughters case is an extreme, but it is my present problem.
We haven't booked a holiday yet, simply because we don't know when the passports will arrive.

Overheal · 27-04-2010 4:09pm

Say what you want about the passport office. I just find it bemusing that suddenly so many people are scurrying for the right to flee the island.

MagicSean · 27-04-2010 4:15pm

Overheal wrote: »

Say what you want about the passport office. I just find it bemusing that suddenly so many people are scurrying for the right to flee the island.

Where are they getting the money for these holidays anyway? I heard something about a recession.

IrishTonyO · 27-04-2010 4:16pm

Another thing to remember is that the Union is refusing to allow temporary staff be trained and used to clear the backlog. Temporary staff are used every year in the passport office, so that and the overtime ban are causing this. The government wants to put an additional 50 temporary employees in to clear the backlog but the union won't allow it!!

OhNoYouDidn't · 27-04-2010 4:22pm

IrishTonyO wrote: »

Another thing to remember is that the Union is refusing to allow temporary staff be trained and used to clear the backlog. Temporary staff are used every year in the passport office, so that and the overtime ban are causing this. The government wants to put an additional 50 temporary employees in to clear the backlog but the union won't allow it!!

By 'refusing to allow' you actually mean 'requested'....

Where to these patently false stories start?

MagicSean · 27-04-2010 4:23pm

IrishTonyO wrote: »

Another thing to remember is that the Union is refusing to allow temporary staff be trained and used to clear the backlog. Temporary staff are used every year in the passport office, so that and the overtime ban are causing this. The government wants to put an additional 50 temporary employees in to clear the backlog but the union won't allow it!!

That won't clear the backlog. It will only stop it from getting bigger due to the increase in applications because of the approaching holiday season. Does anyone know how the passport workers are actually preventing them being hired. Have they some kind of barricade up?

HALLOW RUBY · 27-04-2010 4:25pm

Passport office staff are currently working late nights and weekends try and help ease the backlog. Say what yous like about the public/ civil service but there are employees of the state that actually are working their backsides off to try and help alleviate the situation.

dvpower · 27-04-2010 4:26pm

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

How long did it take to get an eircom line before privatisation? A month?

How long does it take now? Over a year.

Are you new to this country or just very young?

btw, it was called Telecom Éireann prior to privatisation and it took a lot longer than a month to get a new line installed.

Here's what Eircom say about installing a line. I'm not sure if this is correct, but your figure of a year seems wrong (I'm sure you have some reliable stats to back it up).

eircom wrote:

7 - How long does it take to get my line connected?
If your business previously had a phone line, we may be in a position to have your new line connected within 1 working day. If your business does not have a working telephone line, standard installation is within 10 working days of placing your order.

wyrn · 27-04-2010 4:28pm

Ah my application is amongst those and I applied for Passport Express, Hehe! I'm not heading away till August so I hope I'll be fine. Not taking anything for granted.

I don't blame the passport service at all. I can only imagine the strain they are under with the cuts. I would hazard a guess that the summer temp positions are down or gone AND it wasn't helped by the printing machine breaking down.

I think it was horrible the way the media vilified the passport workers. It was nothing but sh*t stirring that gets us nowhere. We do have a right (thank goodness) to obtain a passport (I remember having a talk with a Tanzanian flatmate who had awful hassle to get one to come to Ireland to study and being very relieved at how easy we have it) to get uppity at not being able to get the same service (from before the cuts and broken machines) is just silly. It'll only raise your blood pressure.

dvpower · 27-04-2010 4:30pm

k_mac wrote: »

What did people expect. The passport service only worked because the staff worked so much overtime. They were vilified in the press for their greed. Now that they aren't working overtime they are being scapegoated again.

They are working overtime. I had a passport processed last Saturday week.

IrishTonyO · 27-04-2010 4:33pm

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

By 'refusing to allow' you actually mean 'requested'....

Where to these patently false stories start?

Take your pick, and there are many more sources for this, try using a search engine sometimes.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cpsu-blocks-bid-to-clear-passport-backlog-2138579.html
http://www.fiannafail.ie/news/entry/4034/
http://www.ibec.ie/IBEC/Press/PressPublicationsdoclib3.nsf/vPages/Newsroom~block-on-temporary-staff-at-passport-office-outrageous-15-04-2010?OpenDocument?OpenDocument
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0324/breaking8.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0323/pay.html

danman · 27-04-2010 4:34pm

k_mac wrote: »

That won't clear the backlog. It will only stop it from getting bigger due to the increase in applications because of the approaching holiday season. Does anyone know how the passport workers are actually preventing them being hired. Have they some kind of barricade up?

The union members are refusing to train the temp staff.
These temps are employed every year to accomodate the higher level of applications this time of year and they are train by full time staff.

No barricades required.

IrishTonyO · 27-04-2010 4:37pm

danman wrote: »

The union members are refusing to train the temp staff.
These temps are employed every year to accomodate the higher level of applications this time of year and they are train by full time staff.

No barricades required.

they are also refusing to work with any temps hired, even if they get trained by management etc.

Cuddlesworth · 27-04-2010 4:50pm

HALLOW RUBY wrote: »

Passport office staff are currently working late nights and weekends try and help ease the backlog. Say what yous like about the public/ civil service but there are employees of the state that actually are working their backsides off to try and help alleviate the situation.

The situation they created with their strike and their continuing industrial action.

dvpower · 27-04-2010 5:01pm

HALLOW RUBY wrote: »

Passport office staff are currently working late nights and weekends try and help ease the backlog. Say what yous like about the public/ civil service but there are employees of the state that actually are working their backsides off to try and help alleviate the situation.

I've a lot of sympathy with the workers in the passport office. They've had to put up with stressful conditions with hoards of naturally irate people queueing at their door during the recent dispute.

Sure, a lot of their problems are of their own making, but I put this on their union (they're mainly CPSU), who went to Croke park and agreed a deal only to then recommend that the workers reject that deal.

They've had paycuts from their employer, IR disputes with their management, stick from the public for failing to process applications within the agreed timeframe and a union talking out of both sides of its mouth.

MagicSean · 27-04-2010 5:03pm

danman wrote: »

The union members are refusing to train the temp staff.
These temps are employed every year to accomodate the higher level of applications this time of year and they are train by full time staff.

No barricades required.

So. It's not their job to train staff is it?

IrishTonyO wrote: »

they are also refusing to work with any temps hired, even if they get trained by management etc.

As in hold their hand while they work?

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

The situation they created with their strike and their continuing industrial action.

They are doing their contracted job. Why should they do any more? It's a mangement problem that caused the backlog. The passport office should never have been allowed to be so reliant on overtime.

bobbysands81 · 27-04-2010 5:08pm

Either people didn't read my earlier post or they are deliberately ignoring it.

There's only one reason why there's a backlog in passports and if you think it's the workers then you're wrong. Management manipulated this chaos intentionally and all the chaos and delays comes DIRECTLY from cuts to the service. Remember this time last year when there was sufficient funding we probably had the best passport service in Europe. You cut funding then you cut services... get used to it folks, this is only the start of it.

The Industrial Action in the Passport Office was not the only reason why there were delays, it might have been a contributory factor but NOT the reason.

Amazing that this is only coming to light now considering that the Govt have presided over the scapegoating of its own workers.

Nobody seems to remember the floods in Molesworth Street a couple of months ago that caused the offices to close, nor the passport printing machine that broke down and wasn't fixed quick enough just so the Govt could continue slating the workers, nor the fact that there's a recruitment ban and staff that have left hadn't been replaced, nor the fact that staff have had their wages cut by circa 15%, nor the fact that management refused to allow passport office staff to prioritise those that needed their passports quicker, nor the fact that the Irish Times was spoonfed a story by the Govt on a Friday that the offices would close for good on the Monday in order to cause even more mayhem and chaos, nor the fact that this is the busiest time of year and there's always delays, nor the fact that Govt cutbacks have naturally affected the service nor the fact that all of the above has caused unprecedented demand...

bobbysands81 · 27-04-2010 5:10pm

dvpower wrote: »

I've a lot of sympathy with the workers in the passport office. They've had to put up with stressful conditions with hoards of naturally irate people queueing at their door during the recent dispute.

Sure, a lot of their problems are of their own making, but I put this on their union (they're mainly CPSU), who went to Croke park and agreed a deal only to then recommend that the workers reject that deal.

They've had paycuts from their employer, IR disputes with their management, stick from the public for failing to process applications within the agreed timeframe and a union talking out of both sides of its mouth.

You make a valid point.

However, it's the ordinary members of a Union that direct the Union's National Executive. The CPSU National Exec thought they had a deal that would be accepted by the rank and file members... they were utterly wrong and the turnaround came about because the rank and file members let them know this.

70,000 passports now in backlog

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