Requests from citizens in UK for Irish passports rise 119%

Applications for Irish passports from citizens in the UK last month were more than double those of the same month in 2015, according to the latest breakdown.

Figures for September, released by the Department of Foreign Affairs, show there were 7,518 applications from the UK compared to 3,431 in 2015.

The figures for August also saw a rise of more than double the previous year – from 3,286 to 6,710.

The proportional rise has increased every month since June's Brexit referendum to leave the European Union. For residents of Northern Ireland, applications in September grew year-on-year from 2,549 to 4,126. However, that rate of growth slowed from August when those seeking Irish passports grew from 2,782 in 2015 to 4,993.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has previously urged British citizens eligible for an Irish passport not to rush to apply, with Brexit negotiations likely to last for at least two years.

“The referendum in Britain has in no way changed the entitlement to an Irish passport . . . as it extends to people born on the island of Ireland and those who may be entitled to Irish citizenship through parents or grandparents who were born in Ireland,” he said.