Record number of Irish passports issued in 2022
At a glance
The Irish Passport Service issues 1,080,000 passports over the past 12 months
That figure beats the previous high of 935,000 in 2019
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin says it is due to backed-up demand during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Published
A record number of Irish passports have been issued in 2022, the Irish Department for Foreign Affairs has said.
About 1,080,000 Irish passports were issued over the past 12 months, beating the previous record of 935,000 in 2019.
In November the Passport Service announced it had issued over a million passports annually for the first time.
The number of first-time applications received from those in Northern Ireland and Great Britain was about 100,000.
The oldest applicant for an Irish passport was 102; the youngest was three days old.
Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister), Micheál Martin said the record figures were a result of "pent-up demand" caused by travel disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I want to express my thanks to the staff in the Passport Service who responded to the challenges of 2022 by demonstrating great diligence and resilience," he said.
"The historic achievement of over one million passports issued in a calendar year is down to their commitment to public service and hard work."
Mr Martin said the government had made a significant investment in the service this year to meet the high demand.
He encouraged those who are considering travelling to check the expiry date on their passport ahead of another expected busy year.