A Belfast man says he is “baffled” as to why he is still waiting on his new Irish passport almost six years after first applying.
Michael McGill has been waiting since 2019, has a second application process that has also been impeded, and even a battle with cancer – all while having no explanation as to why he is still ultimately without the travel document.
Incredibly, the 65-year-old’s 2019 application is still “processing” according to the passport tracking service, and as of an update at the start of this month, he is advised the estimated due date for receiving it was November 13, 2019.
The current expected wait for a first-time applicant is eight weeks, or 20 working days if completed online.
Mr McGill, from the Ligoniel area of north Belfast, had held a British passport, and with the Brexit date of January 1 2020 on the horizon, he decided to apply for an Irish passport and retain the travel benefits of EU citizenship.
A Belfast man’s application for an Irish passport has led to almost six years of frustration.
His first application was received on September 19, 2019, and tracking data suggested he could expect the passport to be delivered within weeks.
Since then he has faced years of uncertainty and frustrations, but no explanations.
“In September 2019, I thought that with only a few years left on my British passport, I’d go ahead and get an Irish one before Brexit, like a lot of people were doing at the time,” he told the Irish News.
“It seemed like the smart thing to do, in terms of avoiding queues while travelling, and to be covered diplomatically.”
It was a record-breaking year for Irish passport applications, with almost one million issued in 2019.
Michael McGill. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
The surge was put down to the UK’s looming departure from the European Union prompting an increase in applications from people born in the north – all automatically eligible – along with those in Great Britain who are entitled to one through requirements including having an Irish parent.
Mr McGill’s estimated delivery date came and went, and he called to enquire in January 2020.
“They told me I had failed a security question when I accidentally gave my foster mother’s maiden name, instead of my birth mother’s, but when I tried to explain this error, they wouldn’t listen,” he said.
Following this, he contacted the office a few days later and was told his application was still “being processed” – a term he would repeatedly hear in the ensuing years, much to his frustration.
After more calls, he says he was told in August 2021 that his application had been cancelled, and he would receive a refund – something he claims he is still waiting on.
“After that, I just sort of gave up on it – I was always told someone would call me back, but they never did,” he said.
However, in 2023 he decided to try again, and after posting a fresh application, was advised through the tracking service he would receive his passport that November.
“Weeks passed, and in December ’23 when I rang to enquire, I was told on the phone that I had two applications being processed.
“I was shocked – I told them about what had happened, about cancelling the first, and told them I have no need for two Irish passports, I just want the one!”
In May of last year, with still no sign of any passport, nor any explanation as to the delays, Mr McGill’s problem was put to the back of his mind as he faced a more pressing concern – a cancer diagnosis of lymphoma.
Following months of treatment including chemotherapy, he decided to make a final effort to secure his passport.
“This time I decided I’d go down in person with my partner, after being advised in a call after I struggled to make an appointment online, where it seemed appointments could only be made over emergency passports,” he explained.
“So in July of this year I made the trip to Dublin, as I thought I’m feeling a bit stronger now following the chemo. At the passport office I was seen within five minutes, so was hopeful this could finally be resolved.
“But the person who was dealing with me went off to check it out, and was gone around 15 minutes. When he came back, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when he told me both applications were still being processed.
“I was exhausted, and so frustrated that the journey, which wasn’t easy in my condition, was a total waste of time.
“I don’t understand why no-one can explain what is happening after all these years – or why they don’t see there’s something not right when two applications are being processed at once. You would have thought that someone would have contacted me to ask what was going on with that.
“It’s funny, because I’m from a Catholic background, but have friends from a Protestant background who decided around the same time as me to get Irish passports.
“They’ve been travelling on theirs for years now, and they joke it’s because they were prioritised over me, given our backgrounds.”
In the years since, Mr McGill renewed his British passport smoothly, and was recently told he was in remission for his lymphoma.
“I honestly wish I hadn’t bothered with an Irish one in the first place after all this trouble. But they have nearly £200 of my money, so I’d like some sort of resolution.”
A spokesperson for Dublin’s Department of Foreign Affairs said its Passport Service “cannot comment on individual applications”.
“All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended, which provides a legal basis for the various policies and practices that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports,” they said.