The backlog of unprocessed passport applications as a result of industrial action by civil servants over pay cuts remains at nearly 50,000, the Department for Foreign Affairs confirmed today.
However, the long queues and bottlenecks, witnessed over the last few days, at the Passport Office in Dublin have eased significantly.
Several people emerging from the office today said they were being issued with numbered slips and told to return later in the day. But it remained unclear if the backlog in unprocessed travel documents was being reduced, and if priority was been given to urgent travel plans.
Staff at the office are understood to have informed people that An Post would be delivering two batches of new passports later this afternoon.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "The Passport Office is continuing to operate and process passport applications."
Early this morning, long queues again formed outside the Molesworth Street office as hundreds attempted to salvage their travel plans from the ongoing disruption.
Dozens of people, some huddled under blankets, had queued overnight to ensure early entry into the office.
Several people emerged later in the morning brandishing new passports and expressing relief that their ordeal was over.
One of the first was Paul Hickey from Foxrock, Co Dublin, who said he was “ecstatic” to be finally holding his new passport. He is due to travel to Malawi for a five-week trip on Monday and had spent four days this week queuing at the office on Molesworth Street.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said yesterday that the Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU) deliberately selected the Passport Office as a focal point for its campaign against pay cuts in an effort to get the Government to budge on the issue as a result of the widespread disruption caused to the public.
In Paris last night the Minister criticised the union, which represents lower-paid passport office workers, and reiterated that they may have pay docked if their protest does not end.
Mr Martin’s comments came as the CPSU issued protective strike notice on the Department of Foreign Affairs following its warning over the possible deduction of pay. Long queues again formed outside the Passport Office in Dublin yesterday while the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the backlog of passport applications awaiting processing had not reached 50,000.
Mr Martin said the CPSU’s position was “untenable and unacceptable” and accused the union of “putting out red herrings” and distorting the situation for its own ends.
“We have been reasonable with the union,” he said. “Their position is untenable and unacceptable and I would again call on them to lift the embargo on overtime, to end the work-to-rule and not to be blocking the recruitment of 50 people. That would go a long way to clearing the backlog.” Asked if the threat to dock employees’ pay still stood, Mr Martin said: “Absolutely. We have been available for talks. We met with the CPSU yesterday. I think they have been putting out a lot of red herrings in relation to this to try and distort the story.
It appears the Government is holding off on issuing similar warnings over pay to other public service workers who are engaged in similar industrial action. CPSU members in the Revenue Commissioners yesterday closed public offices until after lunch and social welfare offices will be closed this afternoon.