Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said extra staff will now be employed as a further surge in passport applications is expected. Out of the total number of applications received this year by the passport service, 84,855 applications were from Northern Ireland and 98,544 applications were received from Britain. During peak time, the passport service received more than 6,500 applications each day. In 2018, the oldest person to use the online passport service was aged 99 while the youngest online applicant was just two weeks old. “The department has worked hard in recent years to ensure we provide a modern, secure, and efficient passport service.

Source: Irish Examiner December 31, 2018 05:03 UTC