More than 775,000 passports have been issued so far this year, with demand forecasts indicating over a million will be provided by the end of 2024, the Tánaiste has said.
Micheál Martin, who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has encouraged anyone who is considering travelling to check their passport is in date, and if they need to renew or apply for one for the first time, to use the Passport Online service.
More than one million passports were issued in 2022, making it an annual record for the Passport Service. Last year, around 950,000 passports were issued with over a million applications received.
Mr Martin said “virtually all complete passport applications” are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times with the majority of adult online renewal applications issued within two working days.
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“Passport Online is by far the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to apply for a passport,” he said.
Ninety per cent of applicants across the island now apply using Passport Online, which is available to all types of applicants including children applying for their first passport.
The most applications so far received this year have been from Dublin (127,111), Cork (56,022), Galway (26,452), Kildare (26,361) and Antrim (25,492).
The highest number of first time child applications have also been from Dublin (14,337), Cork (7,320), Antrim (4,095), Galway (3,614) and Kildare (3,420).
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