SINN Féin has renewed its call for an Irish passport office to be set up in the North to deal with a significant rise in passport applications.
The call comes after the latest figures showed that over 120,000 applications for Irish passports came from people living in Northern Ireland last year.
Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said it was time for a passport office to be established in the North which would reduce backlogs in the application process.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs has published figures showing that more than 120,000 passport applications were received from the North last year. That large volume of applications is not a new phenomenon, nor should it surprise anyone in the House,” said the Fermanagh-South Tyrone MLA.
“Every citizen on this island is entitled to receive an Irish passport. Unfortunately, despite the clear demand for Irish passports, an Irish passport office does not exist in this part of Ireland to serve that need. That means that those who have had last-minute issues or delays with their passport have to go to Dublin or Cork for urgent appointments. This can lead to really difficult and expensive outcomes such as people missing out on planned holidays, family gatherings and other significant events. I am sure that many of us have been in a similar situation. Having a passport office in the North would serve those applicants and reduce the workload and backlog of applications, as well as providing employment in the North.
“The inaction on the part of the Department of Foreign Affairs is unacceptable. The growing demand for Irish citizenship in the North points to the urgent need for a passport office here. It is time that the Irish Government listened to calls and established an Irish passport office in the North without delay.”
