{
  "id": 417258,
  "title": "Over half a million Irish passports issued this year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/over-half-a-million-irish-passports-issued-this-year",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0810/1587164-new-passports-ireland/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ireland issued over 500,000 passports during the first half of 2026, according to Department of Foreign Affairs figures. This figure breaks down to 367,471 passports issued on the island of Ireland as a whole.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, 367,471 passports were distributed between the six counties. Antrim topped the list with 17,986 new passports, placing it third overall among the 32 counties. Down, Derry, Tyrone, Armagh, and Fermanagh also saw significant issuance rates throughout the period.\n\nDublin issued the most passports in the country, with 93,223 new documents granted between January and June. Cork followed with 35,257 new passports. Other counties with more than 10,000 new passports included Kildare (17,571), Galway (16,543), Meath (14,774), Limerick (12,524), and Wicklow (10,736).\n\nForeign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee urged citizens to check their passport's expiration dates before traveling. The passports issued in the first half of 2026 are the latest design, featuring both a card and book format. McEntee noted that the passport application process is efficient and citizens can easily renew or apply online through the Passport Online service, which is available to all Irish citizens worldwide.",
  "summary": "RTE News reports that over half a million Irish passports were issued in the first half of 2026, with 367,471 passports distributed across the island of Ireland. The county with the most passports issued was Dublin, with 93,223, followed by Cork at 35,257. Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee urged Irish citizens to check their passport expiry dates before traveling, emphasizing the importance of using the passport online service for renewals or applications.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}