The number of applications for Irish passports coming from people in the UK have soared with the Brexit deadline right around the corner.
Ever since the result of the 2016 referendum, application numbers have been skyrocketing and that pattern is showing no signs of slowing down as Brexit edges closer.
In the first eight months of 2019, more than 85,000 applications were lodged, nearly double the number of applicants for Irish passports during the whole of 2016.
These figures were released to Fianna Fail's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Niall Collins, who said they show that "the reality of Brexit appears to be filtering down".
"Since the referendum in June 2016, we have seen applications for Irish passports from the UK and Northern Ireland increase from 48,186 in 2016 to 85,517 in the first eight months of this year," he said.
"That’s almost double the number of applications, and there are still another four months of the year left.
"The Irish passport has always been held in high esteem, and it’s becoming obvious that Brexit has compounded the demand as people living in the UK and Northern Ireland become increasingly worried about what impact Brexit will have on their daily lives and their ability to travel."
Mr Collins also noted that he expect applications to continue to increase over the next few months due to the uncertainty surrounding a potential no-deal Brexit.
Of the 85,517 applications submitted between January and September, 49,000 of them were from Northern Ireland, while around 36,000 were from those elsewhere in the UK.
This he increase in demand for Irish passports in the last few years has lead to calls for an Irish passport office to be set up in Belfast.
