Passport Office strike

I applied through the express service on 4th March and still no information. The tracker was last updated 6 days ago with a status of "Application received on 04/03/2010 and is being checked."

We are travelling to Spain on 4th April at what stage should I start panicking. The fact that no one answers the phones is making this a nightmare, as you don't know whether to wait or anything.
 
I don't think you need to be panicking yet. I need to be panicking as I'm going on the holiday of a lifetime tomrrow week and stand to lose £5k plus my longed for holiday. I'm pregnant too and this is the last time I can fly so I can't re-schedule even if I could afford to.

I'm absolutely distraught at the thought of losing this holiday. I've gotten through on the telephone but they are not giving any information away. I understand that they are on a WTR and accept their right to strike but am really kicking myself for leaving things so late and relying on the expected 10-day turnaround time. I could have done this months ago.

My application is also listed as being "received on 4th March and being checked". Apparently it can take 3-5 days from when it's listed as having been printed. Things are really looking bleak.
 
So can I get a refund of the 14.50 Passport Express Fee I paid as I did not get them back within the guarateed period?
 
Flooding was probably caused by all the would be holiday maker crying outside!!

So happy I got mine last month!! All I need now, is somewhere to go (thought my hubby might have whisked me off somewhere nice for b'day....I'll never learn!!)
 
I applied for passports on behalf of my two daughters via the Express ten day service. Applications received by Passport Office on 1st of March. Despite numerous phone calls to them over the past week I haven't been able to get any useful information. I emailed a local TD and spoke to her representative on the phone today. She advised me to go into the Passport Office on Thursday with my travel documentation and that because it has gone over the ten day period they are obliged to give my the passports WTR or not and that it would be treated as an emergency. I wasn't sure if I could do this as it states on the website that they would only tolerate people that need passports due to death or serious illness but apparantly this is not so - I'll let you know how I get on!
 
That's really useful information, Pebble Beach. I look forward to hearing how you get on.
 
Pebble Beach said:
I applied for passports on behalf of my two daughters via the Express ten day service. Applications received by Passport Office on 1st of March. Despite numerous phone calls to them over the past week I haven't been able to get any useful information. I emailed a local TD and spoke to her representative on the phone today. She advised me to go into the Passport Office on Thursday with my travel documentation and that because it has gone over the ten day period they are obliged to give my the passports WTR or not and that it would be treated as an emergency. I wasn't sure if I could do this as it states on the website that they would only tolerate people that need passports due to death or serious illness but apparantly this is not so - I'll let you know how I get on!
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Sorry not true, this i can tell you. At least 20 people a day are doing this and leaving with no passports.........

I believe it is An Post who have the gurantee in place and not DFA.......
 
Thankfully I won't get to find out if going to Passport Office on Thursday would have worked or not as I got phonecall from Passport Office at lunchtime today and was advised that the Passports are being sent by swiftpost this afternoon and we'll have them on Thursday - phew that was close as we're travelling on Sunday! If I hadn't got the call I would have gone in on Thursday I think it would have been worth a try and to anyone else waiting or anxious it's worth ringing and emailing every day. I even did an oscar worthy crying performance which I think is what swung it for me in the end! Good luck everyone!
 
Well done! Have a lovely holiday.

This gives me some hope for my application as my 10 working days expires on Thursday so hopefully they will do something for me once Thursday comes.
 
Pebble Beach said:
Thankfully I won't get to find out if going to Passport Office on Thursday would have worked or not as I got phonecall from Passport Office at lunchtime today and was advised that the Passports are being sent by swiftpost this afternoon and we'll have them on Thursday - phew that was close as we're travelling on Sunday! If I hadn't got the call I would have gone in on Thursday I think it would have been worth a try and to anyone else waiting or anxious it's worth ringing and emailing every day. I even did an oscar worthy crying performance which I think is what swung it for me in the end! Good luck everyone!
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Great to hear..................enjoy !
 
Just to add to the stress of having to wait for the passports, there has been a flood in the passport office in Dublin which has closed the office. Yet again it is impossible to get through to anyone.

This is pretty crap service all round.
 
PD_BARBS said:
Just to add to the stress of having to wait for the passports, there has been a flood in the passport office in Dublin which has closed the office. Yet again it is impossible to get through to anyone.

This is pretty crap service all round.
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The office is open.
 
I know but they are not answering the phones, got through to the Cork office and they told me that the passport production machine was not working as a result of the flood. As they are not letting anyone know what is going on I am none the wiser.
 
Applied for 2 passports for my children by passport express in the 1st March. Spoke to someone today in the passport office who explained that a letter is on the way to us. The person who signed section 7 for me did not answer when the passport office phoned and now we have to resubmit section 7. The boys were meant to travel to Europe on saturday to visit family but this looks unlikely now. The passport office will not guarantee anything even if I bring the new section 7 into the passport office on Monday. When I finally got a ring tone I held for over 30mins before they answered. I had the phone put down on me twice today by them. I guess telling them what I thought of their little protest means no chance of our passports!!
 
bettyboo said:
Applied for 2 passports for my children by passport express in the 1st March. Spoke to someone today in the passport office who explained that a letter is on the way to us. The person who signed section 7 for me did not answer when the passport office phoned and now we have to resubmit section 7. The boys were meant to travel to Europe on saturday to visit family but this looks unlikely now. The passport office will not guarantee anything even if I bring the new section 7 into the passport office on Monday. When I finally got a ring tone I held for over 30mins before they answered.
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Wow - sorry to hear about this messy problem.
shesells said:
According to politics.ie it will get worse tomorrow [broken link removed]
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Not necessarily. Less time on the counters dealing with the public could mean more time to catch up on the backlog of work.
 
Any one know how long it takes for a passport to go from 'approved' on website tracker to being issued? I sent in a passport express for my son on 27th Feb and he's supposed to be going away with his school next week. I'm going pretty frantic and can't get through on the phone, and no answer to an e-mail contact.
 
hi, my passport expired earlier this month, I supposed to be going to Londong on Thursday next. Have decided to go to Cork passport office tomorrow in the hope i will get one before thursday. Is it possible to get a passport issued on the same day. I have proof of travel but its only for a break. Not life or death. Thanks for any advise anyone can offer.
 
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