THE Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed plans are in place for an online passport renewal service.
From early next year, Irish passport holders will be able to skip the queue and renew online wherever they are located across the world. The service is expected to be fully rolled out by early 2019.
The new application service is part of a major €18.6 million reform programme for the passport office, announced last year, which will help deliver a more efficient service.
Previously, applicants faced delays up to 12 weeks for passports, with the Passport Office in Dublin City forced to take on temporary staff to deal with the backlog.
As reported by The Irish Post, applications from Britain for Irish passports surged in the months prior to the Brexit vote, causing long delays and frustration for many anxious holidaymakers.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan TD has said he is very committed to innovation in the passport service.
"I intend to introduce new, world-class technologies to radically reshape how Irish passports are delivered over the next three years and €4 million has been secured in Budget 2016 to achieve this goal."
Minister Flanagan has said he intends to "radically re-shape" the passport service. Photo:RollingNews.ieIn January 2015 it was announced that Ireland would be the first country to produce a passport card that would allow Irish citizens to travel between over 30 EU and EEA countries.
This year, Minister Charlie Flanagan TD reported over 13,000 applications were made for the passport card, 75 per cent of which were made from Ireland, with other applications from Irish passport holders abroad. The card, which costs €35, is only available for existing Irish passport holders.
The DFA have yet to disclose a fee for the online passport renewal service.
