Ireland

Applications for Irish passports in the north up by 60%

The numbers of people applying for Irish passports from Northern Ireland in July has increased by over 60% on the same time last year. Picture Matt Bohill
The numbers of people applying for Irish passports from Northern Ireland in July has increased by over 60% on the same time last year. Picture Matt Bohill The numbers of people applying for Irish passports from Northern Ireland in July has increased by over 60% on the same time last year. Picture Matt Bohill

THE number of people in the north who applied for Irish passports in July was up more than 60 per cent on the same period last year.

During the first full month since the referendum vote to leave the EU on June 23 there were 6,638 applications made from Northern Ireland for Irish passports, 2,568 more than July last year.

The figures, released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, showed that applications from Britain also increased by 73% in the wake of the Brexit vote.

In June there was a 10% rise in applications from the north and a 22% rise from Britain.

However, the total number of applications for Irish passports in July this year, including people the Republic, was down 132 less on the same month in 2015.

Post offices in the north reported a surge in interest in Irish passport forms following the UK's vote to leave the EU.

It prompted calls for an Irish passport office to be open in the north.

Last month the Irish News also reported that the high level of demand had affected the the operation of Northern Ireland's General Register Office, which handles the documents for all births, deaths and marriages.

Research work at the Belfast office was restricted in the weeks following the referendum as the demand for birth certificates from people applying for Irish passports soared.