A record number of Irish passports were issued in 2019, as applicants from the UK and the North scramble for the document ahead of Brexit.
This year’s number of around 915,000 represents a 7% increase on the 855,283 applications made in 2018.
More more than 5,800 applications were submitted in a single day during peak times.
In total, 94,000 first-time applications were received from people born in the North or Great Britain this year.
Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: “The Irish passport is a valuable document and we continue to strengthen all processes to prevent fraud and maintain its integrity and security.”
Outside the UK and Northern Ireland, the cities from around the world that sent in the most applications included New York, where 3,544 applicants hailed from, as well as Pretoria, South Africa with 3,186 and Canberra, Australia with 2,468.
Applicants from San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, Ottawa, Sydney and Paris also topped the list.
Meanwhile, the oldest online applicant was 101 and the youngest was just five days old.
Passport applications for the youngest Irish citizens also revealed the most popular baby names for the year.
Grace, Emily and Anna were the most popular baby girls names for 2019, while Jack, James and Noah topped the baby boys’ list.
The most popular Irish surname worldwide was Murphy, with Kelly, Byrne and O’Brien also common amongst applicants.
The online passport services expanded this year, contributing to increase in applications and the speed with which people can receive their passport.
For the first time this year, the Passport Online service included first time applicants in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe.
Irish citizens, including children, can also renew their passports online from anywhere in the world.
The revamped service has brought in faster turnaround times of five working days for simple renewals, 10 working days for complex renewals and 20 working days for first time applicants, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Passport Service’s Customer Service Hub, established in January this year, is able to answer 10,000 queries per week through its phone and web-chat system.
Applying online no longer requires a person to have their photos witnessed by a Garda for adult renewals. This means both the Passport Service and An Garda Síochána can reallocate resources to other areas.
Mr Coveney said: “I want to thank the staff of the passport service who have worked hard in recent years to ensure the Government provides a modern, secure and efficient passport service.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee praised the Passport Service for being an “innovative leader” in technology and customer experience.
She said: “The innovation shown by the Passport Service with its outstanding Passport Online system has made applying for a passport more convenient than ever before, while enhancing the integrity and security of the Irish passport.
“The dynamism and creativity shown by the Passport Service means it is a real innovation leader in the public service in areas such as technology and customer experience.
“I look forward to seeing the continued development of this excellent service in 2020 for the benefit of Irish citizens here and abroad,” Ms McEntee added.
