The Minister said he is confident the backlog of some 89,000 online applications will be finalised within six to eight weeks. The service also aims to ensure “we have the capacity for high levels of anticipated demand with passport applications when current travel restrictions ease”. Following the implementation of Level 5 restrictions only one-third of staff worked in the office to process applications. This led to a significant backlog and at the end of April there were 89,000 online applications in the system although the service still processed nearly 40,000 applications during Level 5. Pointing to comments from the secretary general of the department that the Passport Office was under “huge pressure as a result of the volume of passport applications being made”, he said that with a new office the “tremendous volume of applications for passport renewals and first-time online applications” could be dealt with “in a much less stressful way”.

Source: The Irish Times May 11, 2021 12:44 UTC