Passport - when being 'known to Gardai' works in your favour


They do it so that they can verify the ID and photographs you're presenting do in fact belong to you, and for that system of verification to be very difficult for the criminal element to circumvent.
 
They do it so that they can verify the ID and photographs you're presenting do in fact belong to you, and for that system of verification to be very difficult for the criminal element to circumvent

Yes, but why does it have to be AGS. Anybody can validate ID and photos, does not have to be the guards. Pulse will throw up any convictions they have. A guard will not necessarily recognise the most hardened criminal if he walks into his station (new guard, criminal new to area etc) but will depend on a computer system to do so. No logic for it having to be a member of AGS at all!
 

Yes, anybody can do it, but it's much easier threaten or bribe a member of the public than it is a Garda. The criminal gangs have previously infiltrated the Passport Office to circumvent this process. They'd do it a lot more if it was as simple as threaten a local working in whatever office took over those duties.

The Gardai do not look up Pulse, criminals are entitled to passports too.