The number of passports issued in Roscommon more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, it has emerged.

8,986 passports were issued in Roscommon in 2021, more than double the number of passports issued last year, 4,223.

The figures came to light in a written parliamentary response from Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin to Limerick, TD Richard O’Donoghue. Deputy O’Donoghue was seeking the number of passports issued in each county in 2021 and 2022.

The figures relating to the other Connacht counties also showed a doubling of the number of passports issued: Galway (2021 – 19,541 passports issued; 2022 – 38,858); Mayo (2021- 9,266; 2022 – 19,482; Sligo (2021 – 4,600; 2022 – 10,108 and Leitrim “2021 – 2,069; 2022 – 4,669)

The figures supplied concerned passports that were applied for through Passport Online, which is is now used by more than 90% of applicants worldwide.

Due to the limitations of the paper-based passport application system, Minister Martin explained that the Passport Service were unable to compile the requested figures for paper-based applications in time for the response to Deputy O’Donoghue’s parliamentary question.