A passport with an integrated computer chip holding a copy of the holder's photo and other passport information was unveiled today by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The new biometric passport is the same as a normal passport, with the exception of the computer chip on the photo page.
This chip will hold a digital copy of the holder's passport and the personal details of the holder as they appear on the photo page. It will not hold any additional information, although the computer chip has the capacity to do so if required.
The Government may introduce other biometric details such as fingerprints and irises in future, but this will require an upgrade of the new technology and fresh passports will have to be issued.
The first people to apply for the passports were presented with their travel documents in Iveagh House today by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
"This technology will make our passports the most sophisticated and most secure travel documents in the world," Mr Ahern said. He said that the photograph was the item in a passport that is tampered with the most. "This biometric technology will put a stop to all that," he said.
Countries participating in the visa waiver programme were required to begin issuing passports with the new technology from October 24th this year.
The roll-out of the new passports, cost €6.1 million, some €2.7 million under budget and this may be put into a fund to buy suitable property for Irish embassies abroad, Mr Ahern said.
Almost 700,000 passports were issued at home and abroad in 2005. All Irish passports will be fully biometric within 10 years.