Up to 25,000 people in Northern Ireland will be issued with Irish passports this year, it emerged today, with over 40 post offices processing the service.
Irish pensioners across Northern Ireland already get free passports after the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern announced a waiver scheme in August for all citizens over 65.
Mr Ahern said today: "This year 25,000 people in Northern Ireland will avail of our new Automated Passport System through a network of 40 post offices.
"The €27.7 million system fully meets all international specifications and is widely regarded as one of the most secure in the world today."
Up to 650,000 Irish passports in total will be issued this year resulting in €33 million in revenue.
The Department of Foreign Affairs aims to convert all passports within 10 years from hand-written to machine-readable versions which can be scanned for biometric data like fingerprints and eye colour.