A backlog of just under 90,000 passport applications will be processed in a matter of weeks, after the production of passports was deemed an essential service.
Operations are being scaled up as a result of the decision.
The Head of the Passport Office says the applications on hand should be cleared in 6 to 8 weeks.
Siobhan Byrne says there has been some limited passport production under level 5 restrictions.
“We continue to process applications for those in emergency circumstances and for those who need it for a variety of urgent reasons.
“It might surprise people as to why people would need a passport for urgent reasons.
“Reasons such as getting married, to open bank accounts.
“So we have processed a lot of those applications over the last few months
“And as well as that, we have processed almost 40,000 passports outside of emergency reasons also.”
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Photo credit: flickr.com/Sarah-Rose
