GP wants €30 to sign document

smcgiff

'Who can act as a witness?

The person who witnesses your signature and confirms your identity must, without exception, be a member of one of the following professions and must not be related to you. Retired witnesses are not acceptable:


Police Officer
Member of the Clergy
Lawyer
Medical Doctor
Bank Manager/Assistant Bank Manager
Elected Public Representative
Commissioner for Oaths
Peace Commissioner
School Principal/Vice Principal
Accountant

I've never been asked to witness a passport application. I wouldn't charge, but I wouldn't do it for some randower either.

hunglikeaflee

ceekay74 wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what kind of work do you do?

I work in the Electrical industry.

hunglikeaflee

smcgiff wrote: »

Quote:
'Who can act as a witness?

The person who witnesses your signature and confirms your identity must, without exception, be a member of one of the following professions and must not be related to you. Retired witnesses are not acceptable:


Police Officer
Member of the Clergy
Lawyer
Medical Doctor
Bank Manager/Assistant Bank Manager
Elected Public Representative
Commissioner for Oaths
Peace Commissioner
School Principal/Vice Principal
Accountant


I've never been asked to witness a passport application. I wouldn't charge, but I wouldn't do it for some randower either.

I would like to know where you got this information. I seriously doubt it is for Irish citizens living in Ireland.

DubDani

Our doctor here in the North charges as well to sign the Irish Passport application, but thankfully only £5 per visit (i.e. signing multiple forms at once will still only cost £5).

To me more annoying is that they will only sign the forms on one specific ay a week between 5.30 and 6.00pm, but I can understand why they arrange it like that.

Soundman

Just curious. A wonderment if you will. When you went in to get this form signed:

a) Did you see the Doctor in person?
b) Was this during his/her normal working hours?
c) Were you charged for the visit as well?

smcgiff

hunglikeaflee wrote: »

I would like to know where you got this information. I seriously doubt it is for Irish citizens living in Ireland.

Whoops, looks like you are right, from what I can see what I listed was only if you were living abroad. This is what I see when I looked at the Irish section...

Have the witness section of the application form and two photograph signed and stamped by a Garda Síochána, for applications made in Ireland, or by a member of one of the categories listed on the form for applications made abroad.

But, why then was the OP sent to a doctor by the Garda?

palmcut

Some passport applications for infants and minors require the applicant to sign an affidavit. This usually applies in cases of parental separation or parental divorce.
In this type of case the parent who is the legal guardian is required to sign the child's birth certificate and for that signature to be officially witnessed. In addition the parent who has legal guardianship is required to swear on oath that she/he is the sole guardian. There are a number of legal questions that such an applicant has to answer under oath on the affidavit.
The adminstration of such an oath can be done by a solicitor or by a Commissioner for Oaths.
Other documents can be witnessed by the other professions mentioned earlier in the thread.
Whilst the original poster may not be in this category, the above applies whenever a single parent applies for a passport. It is one way of the State trying to reduce cases of abduction.

hfallada

I had a garda refusing to sign my passport application as she didnt know me personally. She couldnt her head around the fact that we live in Dublin a city of 1.5 million and therefore she cant know everyone. Also the suburb where I live has no garda stations. Some Gardas have no logic

spurious

Hmmm I'm wondering how much I can get away with charging the next time a kid looks for a reference from me.

No excuse for the GP charging - money grabbing pure and simple.

hunglikeaflee

OP,



Here is a solution.



Print these off the websites provided and you won’t have to pay.

---

(Source) http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=254

What documents should be enclosed

Complete all sections of the application form correctly and legibly. Don’t forget to enter your signature in the signaturebox on the left hand side of this section.
Enclose four recently taken passport photographs .
Have the witness section of the application form and two photograph signed and stamped by a Garda Síochána, for applications made in Ireland, or by a member of one of the categories listed on the form for applications made abroad.
The Passport Service reserves the right to contact witnesses as required. Passport applicants should therefore note that where it is not possible make contact with those witnessing applications then it is likely that the application will be rejected.
With effect from 9th January 2012 the Passport Service will only accept photocopies in respect of passports with six months or less validity on the date of application. Where a passport has 6 plus months validity this must be submitted with the application.
Information in respect of applications for first time adults and those who are reporting lost and stolen passports please click here First time adult applicants/Lost and stolen
Enclose the appropriate fee.



(source) http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/travel_abroad/passports/applying_for_or_renewing_an_irish_passport.html





Passport photographs

Four recent identical photographs of the passport holder must be included with each application. Two of these should be signed on the back by the person who witnesses the application. The witness should also write the form number shown in Section 9 of the application form on those two photographs. If you are applying in Ireland the witness must be a member of the Garda Síochána. If you are applying abroad, suitable categories of witness are listed on the application form.

---

Take it back to the Garda and ask why they won’t sign it.

ceekay74

hunglikeaflee wrote: »

I work in the Electrical industry.

Ok, so in a situation where I have an ongoing need to purchase your services and have being doing so for 12 years or so, with an average of say €600 worth of business being put your way every year, and during this time we have got to know each other quite well, is it not unreasonable that I call to your place of business and ask you to sign a document saying you can verify that I am who I say I am, without you putting your hand out for €30 euro??

ceekay74

Soundman wrote: »

Just curious. A wonderment if you will. When you went in to get this form signed:

a) Did you see the Doctor in person?
b) Was this during his/her normal working hours?
c) Were you charged for the visit as well?

a) no
b) yes
c) no, i spoke to the admin/reception staff

ceekay74

smcgiff wrote: »

But, why then was the OP sent to a doctor by the Garda?

The guard on duty said it must be signed but someone who knows me, but is not related to me. He also mentioned that the local priest was an option.

hunglikeaflee

ceekay74 wrote: »

Ok, so in a situation where I have an ongoing need to purchase your services and have being doing so for 12 years or so, with an average of say €600 worth of business being put your way every year, and during this time we have got to know each other quite well, is it not unreasonable that I call to your place of business and ask you to sign a document saying you can verify that I am who I say I am, without you putting your hand out for €30 euro??

That is a very hypothetical question as I would not be in a situation to sign the form for you. If you asked me to sign something to say I knew you and as you say we were friends, yes I would sign it.

Now, if I were in a position where I could sign it and it was a legal document and this was part of my job, then no, I would charge you for my services as you are my customer.

This is part of the service that Doctors provide and should expect to get paid for it as any professional gets paid for the work they do.

ceekay74

hunglikeaflee wrote: »

That is a very hypothetical question as I would not be in a situation to sign the form for you. If you asked me to sign something to say I knew you and as you say we were friends, yes I would sign it.

Now, if I were in a position where I could sign it and it was a legal document and this was part of my job, then no, I would charge you for my services as you are my customer.

This is part of the service that Doctors provide and should expect to get paid for it as any professional gets paid for the work they do.

I know its hypothetical, but imagine the situation was true. You would be signing a legal document to say that you can vouch for me being who I say I am. It would take less than 1 minute of your time & has nothing to do with the job you trained to do.

It is a courtesy, a favour, good customer service. Asking for money in the circumstance is obnoxious IMO, especially bearing in mind the length of the client/doctor relationship.

If you think this charge is acceptable, thats your own business, but I'm finished with that GP as a consequence. F**k him.

Soundman

ceekay74 wrote: »

a) no
b) yes
c) no, i spoke to the admin/reception staff

Going on your answers then, €30 to me is too much to charge. Anytime I have required a repeat of my prescription without seeing the doctor then have charged me ~€12 I presume to cover their time and Admin costs. €30 I could have understood if you were physically in with the doctor.

Pat Mustard

I think the last time I rang in for a sick note, the GP charged something like €35-€40. That was fair enough, it was a sick note, I needed it, he had to stand over my symptoms, as a doctor.

But €30 to sign a passport form is insulting, especially to a patient of 12 years standing.

One poster asked what a solicitor would charge. Well, there is a statutory charge for a solicitor to witness sworn documents; €10.

So, I would say that an average solicitor might charge a stranger €10 for a signature. If it was a client of 12 years standing, I would say that there must be a strong possibility that he would do it for nothing.

€30 to sign a passport form. Ridiculous.

McCrack

ceekay74 wrote: »

I know its hypothetical, but imagine the situation was true. You would be signing a legal document to say that you can vouch for me being who I say I am. It would take less than 1 minute of your time & has nothing to do with the job you trained to do.

It is a courtesy, a favour, good customer service. Asking for money in the circumstance is obnoxious IMO, especially bearing in mind the length of the client/doctor relationship.

If you think this charge is acceptable, thats your own business, but I'm finished with that GP as a consequence. F**k him.

Na the doctor is running a busy medical practice in Dublin 24. The doctor's primary concern is his patient's medical complaints, the people who have made appointments and are waiting in reception to be seen by him, his own paperwork, his daily list of house-calls to make, paying his overheads, staff wages etc.

People (regardless whether they may be known or not) coming in randomly off the street looking for passport forms to be signed are a distraction to the business of practising medicine. €30.00 is to discourage such visits to the practice and also of course help pay the overheads...like any business.

ceekay74

McCrack wrote: »

€30.00 is to discourage such visits to the practice

Well, mission accomplished. :pac:

nlgbbbblth

Nemeses wrote: »

Another spin on this is... You are asking a Doctor (Could be anyone really) for them to vouch for you? A professional that can lose his license to practise.. One way of looking at it. You could very well be putting his job on the line - Permanently..

I'm being hypothetical but an interesting point... maybe?

No.

BostonB

xpletiv wrote: »

...1. Why would a garda know you unless you were not of good standing?...

Why do garda not to normal things, like live a house, have neighbors, be part of a family, go to the shops, play football, join clubs, go to the pub?

xpletiv

BostonB wrote: »

Why do garda not to normal things, like live a house, have neighbors, be part of a family, go to the shops, play football, join clubs, go to the pub?

I have no idea what you mean when referring to my post... my point was, why WOULD a guard know you otherwise? I dont have any gard 'friends' that would know me, so in that case, no gard should know me.

BostonB

Theres plenty of reasons you might know a Garda other than "...unless you were not of good standing?..." Lots of place the Garda would know all the locals. its not like its your only choice either. The idea is for someone to vouch for your identity.

sandin

Most people here aee forgetting that the op's situation is for her child. She knows its her child and the doctor does too - but the gardai don't hence they need a signature and confirmation from her doctor that all is above board. The price is too high, but possibly as the simplicity of the signature was not known by the reception staff, they possibly misquoted.
I'd ring the doctor directly or ask the reception staff to ask him and give you his answer.

If it was a stranger coming in off the street I'd understand the charge as a way of discouraging callers.

keithclancy

sandin wrote: »

Most people here aee forgetting that the op's situation is for her child. She knows its her child and the doctor does too - but the gardai don't hence they need a signature and confirmation from her doctor that all is above board. The price is too high, but possibly as the simplicity of the signature was not known by the reception staff, they possibly misquoted.
I'd ring the doctor directly or ask the reception staff to ask him and give you his answer.

If it was a stranger coming in off the street I'd understand the charge as a way of discouraging callers.

I had to get my form signed in a local cop shop here in Holland, yer one went in the back to tell everyone that we get Priests to sign forms in Ireland.

My Dutch is not great but there were comments along the lines of "do they put water on it also .. hahahahahahah"

The Gardai should do it, end of, having individuals doing it that do not represent the State in any way shape or form should play no part in the process.

x43r0

This is standard practice here in the UK. I was flying with a broken leg a few years ago and the airline required a GP's signature on the special assistance form. I was charged £20. I didn't really think it was odd

Chris_5339762

Family GP is now charging €20 for repeat prescriptions. He hasn't done that for the past 25 years. None too impressed, its a very lucrative money earner for him. €20 for a 5 minute job.

L1011

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Family GP is now charging €20 for repeat prescriptions. He hasn't done that for the past 25 years. None too impressed, its a very lucrative money earner for him. €20 for a 5 minute job.

Try 30 seconds if nothing's changed. However if anything has changed they've probably already spent quite some time talking to the pharmacist about it, etc.

Just make sure to get 6 month scripts...

Mensch Maschine

ceekay74 wrote: »

I tried getting a passport application for my infant daughter sorted out at the local garda station but was told that for a particular section that the guards can't sign it as they didn't know us personally, but we could ask our GP to sign it for us.

So far so good.

He wants €30 to sign it. Absolutely disgusted, left his office without saying a word. What a horrible money grubbing so & so. Never going back there.

Principle of a school will do it too.

Jarren

Got my kid passport aplication signed by GP and local priest yesterday ,free of charge of course .