Austin Currie
Ceist:179 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the facilities, if any, provided for emergencies involving travellers at weekends including those who have passport problems. [21256/98]
Written Answers. - Departmental Services.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has a duty officer on call outside normal office hours to deal with matters requiring immediate attention, including the issue of passports in cases of genuine emergency.
Passports are normally issued outside office hours only when the person concerned wants a passport for reasons of (1) genuine and substantial distress such as the death or funeral of a relative abroad, (2) urgent business abroad, particularly where Ireland is a beneficiary, or (3) marriage abroad or a couple going on a honeymoon when a passport is found to have been lost or mislaid.
The duty officer is based at Iveagh House and is contactable at the Department's main telephone number, 01-4780822, which is manned at all times.
For security reasons, passports can be issued outside office hours only at Iveagh House.