The Tánaiste has reported that over 775,000 passports have already been issued this current year. Projected demand suggests that by the close of 2024, more than a million will have been put through. Anyone contemplating travel is being urged by Micheál Martin, also the Foreign Affairs Minister and Tánaiste, to confirm their passport’s validity. Furthermore, they are encouraged to take advantage of the Passport Online service for new applications and renewals.
In 2022, the issuance of over one million passports made it a record year for the Passport Service. The previous year, approximately 950,000 were handed out with over a million requests having been lodged. According to Mr Martin, nearly every finished passport application is processed within or even before the stated processing times. Majority of the adult online renewal requests are completed within two working days.
Mr Martin also emphasised that Passport Online is the most convenient, fastest and cost-effective method for passport application. Currently, 90 percent of applicants island-wide opt to use this service. It is open to all categories of applicants, including children applying for their first passport.
The highest number of applications received this year have been from Dublin (127,111), followed by Cork (56,022), Galway (26,452), Kildare (26,361) and Antrim (25,492). The top five areas with the highest first-time child applications include Dublin (14,337), Cork (7,320), Antrim (4,095), Galway (3,614) and Kildare (3,420).