More than a million passports were issued in 2024 – the centenary year of the Irish passport – representing the second highest number issued in one year, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
Micheál Martin forecast that 2025 would be a year of “continued strong demand” and encouraged people to check the expiry date of their passport and apply for a new one, if needed, in good time.
The largest number of passports in one year – 1.1 million – were issued in 2022. This was attributed to pent up demand following Covid-19 travel restrictions and was a 17 per cent increase on the previous busiest-ever year, 2019, when 935,000 passports were issued.
Current indications are that upwards of 940,000 passports will be sought and issued this year.
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“In its 100th year, the passport service managed an extraordinary volume of applications, delivering over one million passport books and cards for only the second time in the history of the State,” Mr Martin said.
“January proved to be the busiest month of the year, with over 123,000 applications submitted, and January 28th was the busiest day, with 8,363 applications received in just 24 hours,” he added.
“Despite this remarkable demand, the passport service maintained its service delivery targets – consistently meeting or exceeding turnaround times for virtually all application types. This speaks to the efficiency, dedication, and professionalism of the team.”
Mr Martin also highlighted the “outstanding performance of the customer service hub”, which handled more than 561,000 queries in 2024.
“The customer service hub has been exceptional, answering every call with care and efficiency. This dedication has once again earned the passport service the Government and Public Sector Customer Experience (CX) Award at the CX Impact Awards – a recognition that reflects the hard work and commitment of the entire team.”
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