10/08/2016

Govt Urged To Open Irish Passport Office In Belfast

The government has been urged to open an Irish passport office in Belfast to meet the unprecedented demand.

Making the call, Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, said there were 46,257 applications from the North between January and July this year, an increase of 18.85 % on last year.

"The huge increase in citizens in the North looking for an Irish Passport, particularly following the Brexit vote, merits a new approach, and in my opinion, a new office being opened to meet this growing demand," Deputy Crowe said.

"There were 46,257 passport applications from the Six Counties between January and July of this year, that’s an 18.85% increase on the same time last year.

It is understood that following the EU referendum result some post offices in Belfast ran out of Irish passport application forms due to increased demand.

"With passport applications continuing to rise it is clear that a passport office in Belfast makes practical and logistical sense. It would also make the application process much easier for Irish citizens based in the North of Ireland.

"I am calling on the Irish Government and Minister Charlie Flanagan to urgently investigate this possibility and to begin the process of opening a passport office in a convenient location like Belfast."

(MH/LM)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

30 October 2018
Record Year For Irish Passport Applications
2018 is set to be a record year for Irish passport applications, the latest figures from the Irish Embassy in London has revealed. It is understood that in the first half of the year some 45,000 applications were received for Irish passports, and it has been suggested that the demand could increase to around 90,000 by the end of the year.
16 February 2017
Additional Staff To Be Hired To Deal With Passport Demand
The Passport Office is to hire additional staff due to the increased demand for passports as a result of Brexit. Applications for Irish passports from the UK were up 74% in January 2017, compared to the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
30 June 2010
Russian Espionage Scandal Used Irish Passports
It has emerged that at least one false Irish passport was used by a Russian spy ring allegedly operating in the US. The passport is said to have been passed to a Richard Murphy, who is among 11 people currently under trail in Manhattan Federal court, charged with being a Russian spy.
28 June 2016
Entitlements To Irish Passport 'Will Not Change' - Flanagan
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, has reassured UK passport holders entitled to an Irish passport that those "entitlements will not change", following the UK's decision to leave the European Union.
24 July 2013
Two Arrested In Passport Fraud Investigation
Gardaí have arrested two employees of the Passport Office, as part of a joint investigation with the Department of Foreign Affairs into passport fraud. An internal Passport Office investigation was begun in May following the discovery of irregularities in two passports being issued.