Just over 1,200 people in Tipperary are waiting for their passport applications to be processed.
The total forms part of a national backlog of 112,000 applications, as an increasing number of Irish people look to book trips abroad while restrictions ease.
Tipperary Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne says the backlog is down to a lack of sufficient staffing, with around 500 workers dealing with current demand in the Passport Office.
“Everybody knew once restrictions started to lift people would wish to be going on holidays. With the Passport Office having been closed for the best part of 12 months it was always going to create problems.”
“During normal times you would have had 450 people in offices and at peak times they would increase it by 200 – that was up to 650. That’s normal times – without the pandemic. But as we speak there’s only 500 personnel in total being left to deal with the demand.”
