THE LABOUR Relations Commission (LRC) is to mediate in the ongoing dispute at the Passport Office where there is a backlog of 61,086 passport applications.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin yesterday welcomed the initiative. He was “confident” it would bring about agreement on arrangements and staff issues with the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU) so normal service can be resumed.
“In particular, I want to resume quickly the service whereby any person about to travel can obtain a passport enabling them to do so. I believe this desire is shared by management and staff in the passport service and by the leadership and membership of the CPSU,” he said. The CPSU has agreed to attend a meeting with LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey today. However, the union last night called on management at the Passport Office to give priority to those with immediate travel needs.
Theresa Dwyer, assistant general secretary of the CPSU, said in the past two weeks staff had been forced to refuse passports for immediate travel even though the union had included the processing of this category for emergency passports from March 23rd 2010.
“After the Croke Park deal, the CPSU withdrew its industrial action and it was agreed with Foreign Affairs management that priority would be given to those with immediate travel needs. It was passport office management who withdrew priority for immediate travel two weeks ago without any notice to the union,” Ms Dwyer said.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman denied any U-turn in relation to the prioritisation of applications. He said applications were dealt with on a first come, first serve basis.