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A motion calling for an Irish passport office to be established north of the border has been approved at the monthly meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
And a debate on the issue at the meeting heard stories of family holidays ruined or people being left behind from trips abroad thanks to their Irish passport taking too long to process.
Seperately It has also been announced that the Seanad has supported the call.
Downpatrick councillor Oonagh Hanlon (SF) said the move would “ease the burden” on local applicants, however DUP rep Henry Reilly dismissed the idea as “silly”.
The latest population census has shown a surge in the number of people in Northern Ireland holding Irish passports, with an increase of 63.5 per cent in the last ten years.
Cllr Hanlon put forward the motion to contact the Republic’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney to raise the issue.
She said: “My office is inundated with people having issues with passport applications in the North. I personally have had to liaise with people who have had to cancel holidays and I have spent hours on the phone at passport offices with no success.
“There have been some families having to make the difficult choice of whether to split the family up or cancel the holiday altogether. There are people who have applied for a passport last Christmas and in June they still did not have it. A passport office should be brought about in the North to ease the burden on applicants from here.”
However, Mournes councillor Henry Reilly (DUP) highlighted a growth of applications for Irish passports in the unionist community but argued it would be “silly” to establish an office in Northern Ireland.
He said: “I know, dozens and dozens of Orangemen who are hardcore loyalists and they have an Irish passport. I understand the emotional attachment that Cllr O’Hanlon would have with Irish Republic and passports, but there is absolutely no need for an Irish passport office here.
“There isn’t even a passport office in Donegal, in the north of the Republic. I have even been on the phone myself to Dublin to try to expedite passports for constituents.
“The Irish passport service says its delays are due to Covid and staff working from home, it is the same excuse as the UK passport office, you would near think they were working together.
“It would be a bit silly for the Irish government to open an office here when they don’t even have them in the north or the west of the Republic.”
The council saw majority support for the motion with 27 in the chamber, from Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance, voting in favour and all unionist councillors (7) voting against it.
Newry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady welcomed the news that the Seanad has last week supported a motion also calling for the opening of an Irish Passport Office in the north.
"It is very positive to see the Seanad support the motion brought forward by Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile, calling on the Irish government to open a dedicated Irish Passport Office here in the north.
“This service is needed with huge increases in demand over recent years, with the North’s latest census showing a 63.5% increase in Irish passport-holders.
“Last year, for the first time ever, more people from the North applied for an Irish passport than for a British one. Many colleagues, across all political parties and none, will no doubt have been dealing with issues of delay, backlog and difficulty in obtaining information for applicants, many of whom have missed out on travelling.
“A new office would broaden and improve services across Ireland - how could that be considered something not worth doing?
“Opening a new office in the North just makes sense. It is needed and will improve access to services for a huge number of applicants.
“Over 32,000 people have signed Senator Ó Donnghaile's online petition calling for this service and tonight the Seanad has endorsed this call - the government can no longer ignore the demand and need for this office and should move to open one as soon as possible.”
The Motion from Councillor Hanlon:
'This Council acknowledges the increased demand for Irish citizens in the North, particularly since the Brexit referendum and calls for additional services to be put in place to manage the demand.
This Council reiterates the call made in 2018 for an Irish Passport Office to be located in the North of Ireland.
Council will write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, expressing concern at the current backlog and delays for Irish Passport applications, and request a passport office to be established in the North of Ireland to help manage this demand.'
