High demand for Irish passports causes delays in system

The United Kingdom's referendum decision to quit the European Union has caused "a spike" in the number of applicants from Northern Ireland and Britain for Irish passports, according to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan.

The “unnecessary surge” would place “significant pressure on the system and on turnaround times” and was likely to affect people with a genuine need to secure a passport quickly, Mr Flanagan said.

“The increased interest in Irish passports clearly points to a sense of concern among some UK passport holders that the rights they enjoy as EU citizens are about to abruptly end.

“I want to state clearly that this is not the case,” said the Minister. “The jump in applications is unnecessary. The UK’s EU exit process will take two years – at the very least – from the date upon which the formal application to leave is triggered by the London government.”