Agreement to tackle passport backlog

THE Department of Foreign Affairs and the union representing Passport Office staff have agreed a formula for the recruitment of temporary staff to address the 61,000 backlog in passport applications.

After more than 13 hours of negotiations under the mediation of Labour Relations Commission chief executive Kieran Mulvey, it was recommended that 50 staff would be drafted in to handle the peak summer demand and clear the backlog.

The Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU), which represents Passport Office staff, is to put that to its members for agreement on Monday and Tuesday.