A record one million Irish passports have been issued so far this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.
This represents the first time than more than one million passports have been issued in ten months.
It is a significant increase on last year, when 634,000 passports were printed.
The department said the significant rise in the number of passports being issued is a result of pent-up demand due to Covid-19 and the reopening of international travel.
The issuing of one million passports in the first ten months of this year surpasses the previous record of 935,000 passports issued over the full year in 2019.
The Passport Office said efforts have been made to improve turnaround times after delays earlier this year.
It said that it is confident that the delays in issuing passports which was experienced earlier this year will not be repeated.
The office added that turnaround times for online adult renewals is now 10 working days and 20 days for first-time online applications.
Director of the Passport Service Catherine Bannon said many of the delays experienced were around first-time applications.
"These are more time consuming than renewals because there are more security checks involved," Ms Bannon said.
"So we have brought those numbers down from a 40-day turnaround in March this year to a 20-day turnaround, which is our target."
The Passport Office said it has recruited the staff that it needs to deliver the forecasted demand for next year.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said that the passport service faced an "unprecedented demand" this year and that "substantial improvements" have been made, adding that normal, pre-Covid levels of service have resumed.
"As we look forward to 2023, if you're planning on booking international travel, check your passport now and apply early," he said.
"The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to apply for a new passport is by using the Passport Online Service."
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