Just over 9,000 passports were issued in the Shannonside region in the first six months of this year. The figures come as the Department of Transport is urging the public to check their passport expiration date prior to travelling and apply for their renewal early. 4,324 were issued in county Roscommon between the beginning of January and the end of June. In Longford, there were 2,615, while in Leitrim, the figure was 2,062.
While the online option has been seen as the quickest, easiest and most-effective way to apply for a passport, many continue to apply by traditional manner. Current average turnaround time for passports on the Passport Online portal varies from three to 20 working days. A simple adult renewal currently takes 10 working days, while an adult application requiring extra information or a request to change information on a passport will take 15 working days. Nationally, just over 363,000 passports were issued during the period.
