Some consumers in Ireland have had to cancel their travel plans due to delays in processing outstanding passport applications.
The Irish Travel Agents Association is calling for the backlog to be cleared immediately to allow for faster economic recovery by restarting inbound and outbound tourism.
The ITAA warned that the issue is not only affecting leisure travellers, but also business travellers and those wishing to visit friends and family overseas.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office must work to process outstanding passport applications in order to avoid a backlog of applications when international travel resumes.
ITAA chief executive Pat Dawson voiced “frustratation and disappointement” at the ongoing Passport Office delays.
“It is unacceptable and a huge blow to those wishing to travel abroad,” he said.
“It is also a blow to Ireland’s travel industry, which has basically been prevented from trading for the past 18 months.
“These businesses are attempting to claw their way back and are bringing in roughly 15-20% of pre-pandemic levels.
“The Passport Offices in both Dublin and Cork should be open as an essential service, to allow consumers to apply for passports and renew existing passports.”
Dawson warned: “It will take months to clear the current backlog, and customers who want to book holidays will be forced to wait for their passport application to be approved.
“The system will be overwhelmed by the backlog in passport renewals and applications, and this will drastically slow the economic recovery of the travel sector both at home and abroad.
“We are seeking clarification from the Department of Foreign Affairs on this issue, because we want to do what is best for our customers during this extremely stressful time.
“There is a pent-up demand for travel; people have been through enough during the past 18 months, and these passport delays will only be another obstacle in the way of things returning to normal.”