Vol. 417 No. 2
148 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the guidelines which apply in the issue of passports on an emergency basis by Foreign Affairs duty officers; the number of such passports issued in 1990 and 1991; the main reasons for the issue of same, and the additional costs, if any, of the issue of such emergency passports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have an arrangement whereby a duty officer is on call outside normal office hours to deal with a broad range of matters which may arise requiring immediate attention. The provision of emergency consular services, including the issue of emergency passports, is part of the responsibilities of the duty officer.
The Department's instructions for duty officers state that in general emergency passports should be issued only in cases of real and genuine emergency. Examples of such an emergency would include the death or illness of a person abroad or a case where the refusal to grant a passport might occasion loss of foreign earnings or contracts.
The validity of an emergency passport is limited to the minimum period necessary to complete the planned journey. This validity may subsequently be extended to the normal period on application to the Passport Office or to one of our embassies abroad.
The number of passports issued in emergency cases by the duty officer in 1990 and 1991 was as follows: 1990, 410; 1991, 346.
The Department do not retain records of the circumstances giving rise to the issue of individual emergency passports.
There is no additional charge for the provision of an emergency passport.
