Irish Woman With Down's Syndrome - Denied Right to Travel!

To: Passport Office Ireland Tel: +353 1 671 1633

I am a 46 year old Irish woman with Down's Syndrome and I am asking for your help to get my rights restored. 

The Irish Passport Office took my passport and my rights away just over a year ago because they claim they got a "report" but it's a secret report and they won't show it to anyone - I'm...

I am a 46 year old Irish woman with Down's Syndrome and I am asking for your help to get my rights restored. 

The Irish Passport Office took my passport and my rights away just over a year ago because they claim they got a "report" but it's a secret report and they won't show it to anyone - I'm not kidding!  Please help!

Because of my disability, I need some support to live and I lived with my mother until her death on April 23 this year.  My brother (Liam) and his wife (Collette) and my nieces and nephew, have offered me the opportunity of living with them in beautiful, sunny Florida where I have been on holidays before with them and my mother.  I now want to go for a holiday with them again to see if I would like to live there and to see how it would all work out for us.  My favorite hobbies are shopping, camping, swimming, going to the beach and just hanging out with my family.  Please help me get the chance to do these things again with my family.

My sister-in-law (Collette) and my niece (Katie) travelled to Ireland from Florida on December 28, 2012 because I had no support here and we thought the Passport Office would have realized their mistake by then and I would have my passport back and be free to travel back with them.  It looked like I would get it by January 5th, so we were all booked to fly to Orlando from Dublin that day but the Passport Office would not give me my passport and the Director just left early on Friday even though he knew we were all packed and ready to go.  I was so disappointed, sad and embarrassed because so many people had given me "Bon Voyage" cards and gifts and then I was stopped from going for no reason. I think it's because the Passport Director doesn't want to admit he made a big mistake but we all make mistakes and you can't fix it by trying to pretend you didn't make a mistake.  

We are all re-booked for this saturday January 19, 2013 but now the Passport Office have said they will not give me my passport back at all until I have a legal guardian... but I am a 46 year old woman and I don't need a legal guardian and the law does not require me to have one.  The Irish Passports Act 2008 allows people with disabilities like me to "duly authorise" anyone I want, to fill out and sign my application form for me, and this is what I did.  So it is not Irish law that is wrong, it is the Passport Office Director and the Minister for Foreign Affairs who don't seem to understand that I am entitled to the same rights as everyone else, so please don't let them get away with this discrimination and injustice. 


This petition closed on February 4, 2013.

50,000

72,171 people signed the petition

Please call or email the Irish Passport Office at +353 1 671 1633, Email: Joseph.Nugent@dfa.ie, and ask them to give Pauline Conboy her passport PC8471397 back right away. It is so hard on me and my family to be kept apart like this for no reason.  We have done nothing wrong to deserve this.  I just want to spend time with my family who love me, just like I did in the past before my passport was taken away. It's not fair that I am now being stopped from leaving the country for no reason.  Thank you for helping me because by helping me you are also helping other people with disabilities as well as helping preserve everyone's rights.

  1. Update #2

    Posted by Sydney Fleischer (Campaign Leader) on Feb 8

    Hi everyone. I just received another update from Pauline's family. Pauline has submitted another passport application and should learn its status on the 18th. The Irish Sun has also picked up Pauline's story and report that the Passport Service have acknowledged this petition! Your voices are being heard and I'll report back on the passport status soon. You can find the Sun article here: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/4777084/Downs-girl-Eamon-Gilmore-wont-let-me-leave-Ireland.html

    ...

    Hi everyone. I just received another update from Pauline's family. Pauline has submitted another passport application and should learn its status on the 18th. The Irish Sun has also picked up Pauline's story and report that the Passport Service have acknowledged this petition! Your voices are being heard and I'll report back on the passport status soon. You can find the Sun article here: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/4777084/Downs-girl-Eamon-Gilmore-wont-let-me-leave-Ireland.html

    Pauline's application can be tracked here: http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=2859&ref=10315867573

    Application Number Entered:10315867573
    Status: Application No. 10315867573. Received on 05/02/2013 and has been registered. Issue Date:18/02/2013 

  2. Update #1

    Posted by Sydney Fleischer (Campaign Leader) on Feb 6

    Thank you so much for signing this petition. This was posted by Pauline's brother who is leading the campaign to get her a passport. They really appreciate your support and will keep you updated as they learn more and continue their fight. Come back to the petition to leave more kind words of support.

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