Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) confirmed that its Dublin city-centre Registration Office at 13-14 Burgh Quay remained closed to the public on 14 October due to the one-day public-sector strike. All first-time registration and IRP-renewal appointments booked for that date were automatically rescheduled, and return-slip holders were told they could attend on any business day up to the validity date stamped on their slip. The Burgh Quay closure is significant because it is the only office handling non-EEA nationals residing in the capital, processing some 700 appointments per day. While ISD published advance notice on 8 October, many international students and tech workers reported on social media that they had not seen the alert and arrived to find shutters down. The disruption compounds an existing backlog: ISD’s own metrics put current renewal processing times at up to 17 weeks for certain categories. Lawyers warn that missed appointments can lead to lapses in permission, affecting the right to work and travel. ISD says anyone who urgently needs evidence of legal residence to travel should carry their expired IRP card and the email showing their rescheduled slot when passing through immigration. Employers are advised to capture screenshots of the closure notice and provide template letters for staff explaining the exceptional circumstances. Those with time-sensitive trips before their new appointment date may seek temporary Stamp 4 letters from ISD’s emergency email channel, although response times vary. ISD has not yet confirmed whether evening or Saturday clinics will be arranged to clear the backlog created by the strike day. Unions have warned that further industrial action could occur if pay talks stall.
Source: Immigration Service Delivery
