Right to Freedom of Movement: Open Letter to the President of the European Commission
On Wednesday I visited the Irish Passport Office in London to renew my passport only to be told by the passport officer that I had to surrender all my original documents to him, despite that last December Declan didn't have to surrender any such document when he renewed his passport. In light of the interception of our communications and directed surveillance (see blog of 20 October 2011 Application to the European Court of Human Rights), I was forced to withdraw my application. The Irish Prime Minister's Office informed Declan yesterday that the Prime Minister had forwarded his complaint to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. However, the Passport Office confirmed in writing this afternoon that if I want to renew my passport, I must surrender my original documents to them whether I turn up in person or not.
So this is Declan's message this evening to the President of the European Commission seeking the intervention of the European Commission on the grounds that it is incompatible with EU law for a Member State to discriminate against their own citizens who exercise their right of free movement:
The Shame of the Catholic Church: Decades of clerical abuse and cover-up have left the Catholic Church in Ireland at breaking point. Now Darragh MacIntyre reveals new evidence of a scandal that goes to the very top of the Irish Church. Broadcast by the BBC on 2 May 2012.