Passport woes for Portuguese nationals on the Island look set to continue following news that the acting Consul, who arrived last week after being called in from Portugal, will not be replaced when he leaves this week.

Dr. Silvino Ribeiro told The Royal Gazette there will be no one on hand to man the consulate after he leaves this Thursday until August 2, when the office secretary Celesia Fagundo, who has been running a one-woman show there for more than a year, returns from a trip overseas.

Dr. Ribeiro, who said he has been swamped with work since arriving last Thursday, declined to comment on why it had taken so long for the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry to send a permanent representative to the Island.

Asked if it would send someone to help Ms Fagundo on a permanent basis, he said: "I think so".

The news came as she revealed the extent of the staff shortage that has afflicted the Consulate for at least two years.

"Portugal has been delaying and simply ignoring this problem ever since the Vice Consul (Berta) Machado left in July 2001," she said and defended her decision to go away on the basis that she asked Portugal to send someone to fill in for her three months in advance so she could take her first holiday since July 2000.

"There is only so much that one person can handle," she said. "I have been working at the Consulate by myself for almost a year now, doing the work of three people and not too long ago there used to be three secretaries doing what I do now by myself. I did everything that I could to get someone to the Consulate."

Government House intervened last week after it emerged that many Portuguese nationals were stuck on the Island because the Consulate was not open to issue them with travel documents.

Ms Fagundo said she had placed a notice on the door when she left which specified telephone numbers which could be called in an emergency, but that it was ripped off.

Ms Fagundo revealed that the Consulate has been short-staffed since July 2001 when Ms Machado left on a supposed holiday but never returned.

"I have been waiting for her to come back ever since so I could go on vacation, but that never happened because she tricked everyone into believing that she would come back, leaving me stuck at the Consulate, by myself, with all the responsibilities."

She added that even when she is in Bermuda, her role as secretary prevents her from being able to help with certain issues.

"Everything I do has to be approved then signed by a Consul. The only solutions for this would be for Portugal to find a permanent Consul to stay in Bermuda, or giving me authorisation to sign documents."