It's peak season at Dublin Airport in July and August - everyone knows it, so why oh why didn't anyone tell the Garda Immigration services???
Last night on our return from holiday we witnessed near anarchy as more than 10 flights arrived simultaneously only to be met by 2 Garda Immigration officers - one checking the passports of non-EU nationals, who made up about half a percent of those travelling - and the other checking the EU, mainly Irish returning home, passports.
The queues extended way back to the arrival gates and we were packed in like sardines in a narrow corridor leading up to the immigration desks.
After waiting about half an hour with very little movement, frustration took hold and people began calling out from the back telling them to get a move on as the queue was getting longer. The Immigration Officers, recognising that passengers were becoming restless, called for assistance and two guards arrived which caused the situation to worsen as those waiting became even more vocal.
A few people then squeezed past the queue, straight past the other unmanned immigration desks and towards the baggage area. The immigration officer who was dealing with the non-EU passports quickly left her booth and apprehended them and an argument ensued. Their documents were checked and they were allowed to proceed.
Then some enterprising person reversed a travellator, originally running in the direction of the departure gates, on the other side of the partition wall forming the corridor where we were queuing so that people at the rear of the queue could get on it and totally bypass the immigration desks. The guards ran around the other side and stopped them and the situation escalated once again with much shouting and scuffling.
It was absolute chaos, with people shouting and children crying so eventually the immigration officer in the EU booth stopped checking each individual passport, as he's probably required to do, and allowed us all to proceed through just holding our passports open at the photo page.
The issue of Health and Safety was raised by a number of passengers with hundreds of people and small children crammed into a corridor with ever more people joining the queue behind and jostling to see what the hold up was at the front.
The level of disorganisation of the in this case was astounding and the risk to the wellbeing of the passengers was totally unacceptable. Hopefully some of those affected by the inept service will send written complaints to the GNIB.
Last night on our return from holiday we witnessed near anarchy as more than 10 flights arrived simultaneously only to be met by 2 Garda Immigration officers - one checking the passports of non-EU nationals, who made up about half a percent of those travelling - and the other checking the EU, mainly Irish returning home, passports.
The queues extended way back to the arrival gates and we were packed in like sardines in a narrow corridor leading up to the immigration desks.
After waiting about half an hour with very little movement, frustration took hold and people began calling out from the back telling them to get a move on as the queue was getting longer. The Immigration Officers, recognising that passengers were becoming restless, called for assistance and two guards arrived which caused the situation to worsen as those waiting became even more vocal.
A few people then squeezed past the queue, straight past the other unmanned immigration desks and towards the baggage area. The immigration officer who was dealing with the non-EU passports quickly left her booth and apprehended them and an argument ensued. Their documents were checked and they were allowed to proceed.
Then some enterprising person reversed a travellator, originally running in the direction of the departure gates, on the other side of the partition wall forming the corridor where we were queuing so that people at the rear of the queue could get on it and totally bypass the immigration desks. The guards ran around the other side and stopped them and the situation escalated once again with much shouting and scuffling.
It was absolute chaos, with people shouting and children crying so eventually the immigration officer in the EU booth stopped checking each individual passport, as he's probably required to do, and allowed us all to proceed through just holding our passports open at the photo page.
The issue of Health and Safety was raised by a number of passengers with hundreds of people and small children crammed into a corridor with ever more people joining the queue behind and jostling to see what the hold up was at the front.
The level of disorganisation of the in this case was astounding and the risk to the wellbeing of the passengers was totally unacceptable. Hopefully some of those affected by the inept service will send written complaints to the GNIB.
Sounds very schoolyardish to me - hardly professional.