IRELAND issued a record number of passports in 2017, it has been revealed.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, T.D., announced that over 779,000 passports were issued this year.
The Tánaiste said: “This is the highest number of Irish passports ever issued in one year.
"It represents an increase of over six per cent, compared to 2016 which was a record-breaking year, and an increase of over 15 per cent since 2015.
"The number of applicants from Northern Ireland and Great Britain has continued to rise.
"Overall, almost 20 per cent of the total number of applications received by the Passport Service this year were from Irish citizens in Northern Ireland or Great Britain.”
The Passport Service has continued to innovate in how it delivers its service, with an ambitious reform programme to meet the unprecedented demand for passports from Irish citizens at home and abroad, and to continuously strengthen systems guarding against fraud and protecting the integrity of the Irish passport.
The Online Passport Renewal Service was launched in March of this year, meaning Irish citizens renewing their passport can do so online anywhere in the world at anytime.
In only 9 months of operation to date, over 100,000 passports have issued following online applications.
Commenting on the service, the Tánaiste said:“The Online Passport Renewal Service has been a particular success.
"From Cork to Costa Rica; from Meath to Mozambique; and from Sligo to Singapore - Irish citizens all over the world have availed of the option to renew their Irish passport online, with no requirement for forms, witnesses or printed photos.”
The world-first Passport Card, introduced in 2016, continued to grow in popularity in 2017, with over 38,000 Irish citizens availing of the convenience of travel to all EU, EEA countries plus Switzerland with a credit-card sized passport.
Minister of State Ciarán Cannon, TD added: “For those Irish citizens choosing to apply through Irish Embassies and Consulates during 2017, the Irish Consulate in New York retained its distinction as the location with the highest demand for passports, followed by Canberra, San Francisco, Sydney and Pretoria.
"We will continue to work hard in 2018 to offer the most efficient and user-friendly service possible to Irish citizens worldwide."
