The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reports 1,095 passports were stolen in the past two-and-a-half years. In that period:
- 95 cases of suspected passport fraud reported to the Gardaí
- 68 applications were refused over concerns related to fraud or identity theft.
- 1,343 instances of damaged passports were reported
- 9,333 cases where passports were reported lost or disappeared.
- 5,392 reports were made about missing passports from January to June this year up from 457 in 2021.
- 583 thefts of passport reported in the first six months of 2023 up from 79 incidents in 2021.
- 19 cases of passport fraud have been referred to the police (An Garda Síochána) this year down from 44 were reported last year and 32 in 2021.
The DFA emphasizes the importance of protecting the integrity of Irish passports, cancelling lost or stolen passports, and notifying Interpol. They have a dedicated unit to handle suspected fraud cases.
Currently, there are approximately seven million valid Irish passports in circulation.
