The Irish Passport Service has received over 230,000 applications for passports so far this year – a 30% rise on the same period in 2018.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the increase in demand is down to a rise in the number of Irish people travelling and a tendency towards early renewal.

There were over 860,000 passports issued last year – the highest number ever recorded.

Over 70% of all last year’s applications came from the island of Ireland.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney urged all Irish families to check their passports and avoid last-minute travel disappointment.

“Every year we get hundreds of cases of the parents being ready to go on holiday, bags packed, but the night before they realise one of their children’s passports is out,” he said.

“The quickest and most convenient way to get a passport is to use the award-winning online service.

“Given the demand we are experiencing, significant extra resources have been given to the passport service including hundreds of extra staff for processing and customer service.”

Around 70% of all passport renewals are now processed online and the Department said the digital process has faster turnaround times of just ten 10 working days.

Passport holders can renew from anywhere in the world, 24-hours a day seven-days a week by lggin on to www.dfa.ie/passportonline.

According to passport service figures, over 2,400 people renewed their documents online over the 2018 St Patrick’s weekend.

The Government expects to see that number double this year.