Irish passport applications from Britain and Northern Ireland have now doubled post-Brexit, new figures show

THE number of people in Britain and Northern Ireland applying for Irish passports has doubled in the last month.

Applications for dual British and Irish citizenship have been surging in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union on June 23.

Figures obtained exclusively by The Irish Post under the Freedom of Information Act also show that on June 24, the day after the Brexit vote, the number of applications to the Irish Embassy in London was 151.

Similarly in Northern Ireland, applications for an Irish passport on June 24 spiked to 207.

The figures show that over the last five years the number of people in Britain and the North seeking to hold an Irish identity travel document almost doubled - rising from 7,090 over the month of June 24 - July 24, 2011 to 13,756 for the same period this year.

This come in the week that the Irish Government released its latest round of passport application figures, which show that an additional 5,664 people in Britain and Northern Ireland applied for Irish passports last month.

Only last week, the Conservative politician Andrew Bridgen revealed that a number of British MPs were among the throng of applicants for dual British and Irish citizenship following the Brexit vote.

Mr Bridgen told The Irish Post: “I’ve been told that as many as 10 members have applied for Irish passports. I know the names of some of them and they will probably emerge in due course.

“If these MPs now feel so aggrieved that they want to have foreign passports maybe they should go and join [the Irish] Senate. Maybe they should take a share in the southern Irish debt,” he added.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) were unable to give specific information on how many British Government representatives hold Irish passports, or have applied for citizenship, but confirmed: “If they qualify for an Irish passport, either through birth or family connections, then they are perfectly entitled to do so no matter whether they are British Government officials or not.”

Following the initial surge of applications after June 23, the Irish Government warned that figures should be viewed with caution due to possible fluctuations.

 

In September 2015, a total of 5,980 people across Britain and Northern Ireland applied for Irish passports. Last month, the figure was 11,644.

To cope with the surge in new passport applications the Department of Foreign Affairs have outlined plans to employ a number of new passport office workers.

"Demand is expected to continue to grow strongly due to demographic changes, continued increases in overseas travel, the wider use of the passport as an identity document, and Britain's decision to leave the EU," a DFA spokesperson said.

"The Department is considering partnering with an external agent to set up a network of offices to allow applicants to enrol passport applications during a face-to-face appointment,” it added.

In light of the unprecedented demand for Irish passports after the Brexit vote, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has previously urged British citizens not to rush to apply.

“An unnecessary surge in applications for Irish passports will place significant pressure on the system and on turnaround times and is likely to impact those with a genuine need for passports to facilitate imminent travel plans,” Mr Flanagan said.

“I urge those who believe they need to apply for an Irish passport immediately to enjoy free travel in the EU to take full account of the facts before making an application.”

Applications for dual Irish citizenship currently require having at least one grandparent born in the country.