Up to 25,000 people in Northern Ireland will be issued with Irish passports, according to figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
A total of 40 post offices across Northern Ireland are now processing applications for passports from the Republic, through a new automated system.
Yesterday the Minister for Foreign Affairs also defended the automated passport system, which has cost €27.7 million, as value for money.
"The system fully meets all international specifications and is widely regarded as one of the most secure in the world today," he said. It will also generate €30 million from application fees.
The cost of the system has been criticised by Fine Gael spokesman Bernard Allen, who said it was more than double the original estimate of €13.5 million in 2000. "There are many questions still unanswered with regard to the cost of this new automated passport system, especially in light of the new revelations regarding costs. Nobody disputes the importance of having a passport system that is secure, but that does not mean that the vastly inflated costs associated with this project can be simply ignored," he said.