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Passport application operations suspended

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  • 20-02-2021 10:18pm
    #1
    Car99
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭


    Just to let anyone waiting know that the Passport Office has suspended operations while Level 5 is in effect due to staff working from home not having access to certain files .

    They also say that they expect the backlog to be cleared within 6 to 8 weeks of Level 5 exit.

    https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0220/1198346-passports/


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    #2
    yenom
    Registered Users Posts: 659 ✭✭✭yenom


    Someone posted up that renewals that don't require documents are still going through automatically.


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    #3
    McSween
    Registered Users Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭McSween


    yenom wrote: »
    Someone posted up that renewals that don't require documents are still going through automatically.

    Interesting. My parents’ ones are out of date a month. New photos and maybe i will submit their application. Will getting passport cards with their books cause any issue?


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    #4
    maccydoodies
    Registered Users Posts: 368 ✭✭maccydoodies


    Passports are not being issued unless for an emergency. However some renewals in the system right before an emergency application may be processed. I know this because I've one in the system since December and they won't process it until.out of level 5.


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    #5
    yenom
    Registered Users Posts: 659 ✭✭✭yenom


    McSween wrote: »
    Interesting. My parents’ ones are out of date a month. New photos and maybe i will submit their application. Will getting passport cards with their books cause any issue?

    It would be good to know. It's my understanding that the straightforward ones are done automatically by machines and have no human interaction.


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    #6
    Car99
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭Car99


    yenom wrote: »
    It would be good to know. It's my understanding that the straightforward ones are done automatically by machines and have no human interaction.

    Well mine is straight forward as they come , on line renewal no changes to any of my details since last passport issued. Applied late december and it is still in processing. I dont expect it now until week after we exit level 5 . No panic as I'm not going anywhere.


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    #7
    McSween
    Registered Users Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭McSween


    Mine and my daughter’s are up in March/May 2022 and local pharmacy are doing digital photos.

    Does my passport stay valid until ISSUE of new one? Ie i dont think i have to send old one off in the post?


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    #8
    Car99
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭Car99


    McSween wrote: »
    Mine and my daughter’s are up in March/May 2022 and local pharmacy are doing digital photos.

    Does my passport stay valid until ISSUE of new one? Ie i dont think i have to send old one off in the post?

    If it's a renewal do it online if you can at all it quite easy but you cant apply for a new one until I think it's less than 6 months left on your old one.


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    #9
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,846 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    yenom wrote: »
    It would be good to know. It's my understanding that the straightforward ones are done automatically by machines and have no human interaction.
    theres still a human involved to double check the details, and from the sounds of it this access to your personal information is only possible on site at the passport office and not when the staff are working remotely

    As for the question of needing to send in a passport as part of an application, thats not required any more thankfully.


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    #10
    db
    Registered Users Posts: 1,078 ✭✭✭db


    How are they working from home if they aren't processing any applications, what else do they do? I'm in favour of working from home if you can still do your job but if not it's just an extended holiday. Could they not have a few staff in to check physical documents and the rest processing the rest of the application from home?


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    #11
    Car99
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭Car99


    db wrote: »
    How are they working from home if they aren't processing any applications, what else do they do? I'm in favour of working from home if you can still do your job but if not it's just an extended holiday. Could they not have a few staff in to check physical documents and the rest processing the rest of the application from home?

    They said the staff were redeployed to other tasks. Who knows.


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    #12
    Theboinkmaster
    Registered Users Posts: 3,968 ✭✭✭Theboinkmaster


    I'd say the reality is most of those staff are sitting at home on full pay.

    Also what correlation is there between passports and level 5 v level 4?! Seems like nonsense.

    I'd hope we come out of level 5 on 5 April and then re-open the passport office then if that's' the rules they're following.


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    #13
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,521 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    db wrote: »
    How are they working from home if they aren't processing any applications, what else do they do? I'm in favour of working from home if you can still do your job but if not it's just an extended holiday. Could they not have a few staff in to check physical documents and the rest processing the rest of the application from home?

    That's likely how the emergency ones are getting done. Probably too many staff required to do everyone else as normal.


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    #14
    General Toilet
    Registered Users Posts: 98 ✭✭General Toilet


    Car99 wrote: »
    If it's a renewal do it online if you can at all it quite easy but you cant apply for a new one until I think it's less than 6 months left on your old one.
    It's less than 12 months.


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    #15
    talla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,611 ✭✭✭talla


    I submitted an online renewal on Sunday Jan 31st as my passport was expiring at the end of February.
    I was shocked when I received the new passport by post in Letterkenny on Thursday February 4th - so it arrived in four working days.
    The other strange thing was that the online passport tracker says the passport was only dispatched on Feb 9th :confused:
    Anyway, I applied for the passport card at the same time, there has been no progress on that yet.


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    #16
    gozunda
    Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    db wrote: »
    How are they working from home if they aren't processing any applications, what else do they do? I'm in favour of working from home if you can still do your job but if not it's just an extended holiday. Could they not have a few staff in to check physical documents and the rest processing the rest of the application from home?

    There would be significant GDPR and potential security issues Afaik doing that type of work 'at home'


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    #17
    Theboinkmaster
    Registered Users Posts: 3,968 ✭✭✭Theboinkmaster


    Update from me:

    I tracked my application and there was an update today 31 March saying:

    Your application is being processed.

    Says now due 8th April.

    I've never tracked it before so not sure if this is some kind of weekly update whereby it just rolls forward a week?

    Or else this is a genuine update and they have actually started to process it?

    On twitter they're saying standard adult renewals are being done and 20,000 have been done since December.

    So wonder have they resumed service for passports that require documentation like mine? It's a bid coincidental that my tracking has been updated the day after the new government plan.

    But maybe it's automatic and next week on 8th April it will just roll forward onto 15 April.


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    #18
    Car99
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭Car99


    Mine arrived today , applied early December 2020.


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    #19
    finbarrk
    Registered Users Posts: 5,415 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    I applied to renew my Passport Card yesterday. A smooth process online. €35.


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    #20
    kittensmittens
    Registered Users Posts: 2,074 ✭✭✭kittensmittens


    Childs passport is out this June(renewal not a first passport). If sent in to passport express etc will it be processed and returned by july?(if sent in now)


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    #21
    Caranica
    Registered Users Posts: 10,021 ✭✭✭✭Caranica


    kittensmittens wrote: »
    Childs passport is out this June(renewal not a first passport). If sent in to passport express etc will it be processed and returned by july?(if sent in now)

    Nobody knows. You'd have a better chance if you renewed online.


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    #22
    alchemist33
    Registered Users Posts: 10,969 ✭✭✭✭alchemist33


    For kids passport renewal you still need to send in paper documents and they're currently saying don't do that as its suspended. So who knows how long it'll take. I'll probably send in the paper soon for mine (after having gone through the online process) as I'm sick of staring at it on the mantelpiece.


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    #23
    mrskinner
    Registered Users Posts: 388 ✭✭mrskinner


    I renewed online on Monday and the postman had my passport on Thursday.



    Excellent public service.


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    #24
    Masala
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Masala


    Anyone renewing online using Smartphone picture/ headshot.??? Any problems??


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    #25
    Shauna677
    Registered Users Posts: 491 ✭✭Shauna677


    Masala wrote: »
    Anyone renewing online using Smartphone picture/ headshot.??? Any problems??

    I did this last summer, I didn't find the passport photo apps much good, so took a selfie and after cropping to size it was accepted. Got my shiny new passport back within few days.


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    #26
    DiscoStew
    Registered Users Posts: 874 ✭✭✭DiscoStew


    mrskinner wrote: »
    I renewed online on Monday and the postman had my passport on Thursday.



    Excellent public service.

    Strange. I applied online on March 2nd. Estimated issue date on the Passport Tracker was March 15th. This was last updated today April 6th & I still have nothing.
    Passport not out til June & not going any where but seems strange.
    There’s no one to contact about it also as far as I can see.


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    #27
    Beanybabog
    Registered Users Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭Beanybabog


    In the paper today that the passport office won’t open still until level 4 (despite them making up restrictions as they go that seem to have little link to the levelsanyway!) and it’ll take 8 weeks to clear the backlog. Even if vaccination programme speeds up and things turn around really fast I won’t be going anywhere this year as I have a new baby who needs a first application and I have to send in our passports. The Gardai signed for us so it’s all ready to go :-(


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    #28
    Lemon Davis lll
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭Lemon Davis lll


    gozunda wrote: »
    There would be significant GDPR and potential security issues Afaik doing that type of work 'at home'

    Not the case.

    An Garda Siochana, Revenue & Dept of Social Protection have large numbers of staff working remotely.

    I believe it's a quite specific IT issue precluding Passport office staff from working from home.


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    #29
    gozunda
    Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    Lemon Davis lll wrote: »
    Not the case.

    An Garda Siochana, Revenue & Dept of Social Protection have large numbers of staff working remotely.

    I believe it's a quite specific IT issue precluding Passport office staff from working from home.

    They may have. Thats beside the point

    Where wfh involves sensitive data ie unsecured locations etc then that's a significant issue.


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    #30
    iamwhoiam
    Registered Users Posts: 16,075 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    My husband can renew his EU country passport in the embassy in Ireland in a 4 week time slot . My daughter cannot renew her Irish passport ( change of name ) here in Ireland for the forseeable future
    Its absolutely scandalous now


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    #31
    Lemon Davis lll
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭Lemon Davis lll


    gozunda wrote: »
    Where wfh involves sensitive data ie unsecured locations etc then that's a significant issue.

    Yet myriad organisations across industry and the public sector the world over have felt comfortable to take the plunge.


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