SINN Féin Councillor Aileen Mellon has said it is time for the Irish government to invest in a northern passport office to support staff and services.
She was speaking after figures released today showed that applications for Irish passports continue to rise with staff snowed under with fresh applicants.
Said Cllr Mellon said: “Figures today show that the demand for Irish passports continue to rise in both the north and Britain, with 47,645 people from the north applying in the first six months of 2019 compared to 18,067 in 2014, while 31,099 people in Britain applied in the first six months of 2019 compared to 5,672 in 2014.
“The passport staff deliver a world-class service but as Niall Burgess, Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, admitted they are struggling under ‘unprecedented demand’.
“The Irish Government should invest in a Borthern office to support staff and services and meet this unprecedented demand.”
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