The Irish Travel Agents Association is warning that the delay in passport renewals will further hurt their industry, as customers who want to book holidays after the quarantine is lifted will be forced to wait for their passport application to be approved..
The comments from the ITAA come as the association appeals to the Government to re-open the Passport Office for applications and renewals amid widepsread travel restrictions
The Passport Office is currently not accepting any applications for passport renewals as public offices and phone lines are closed until further notice. The ITAA are calling on the Department of Foreign Affairs to reopen the passport office with immediate effect.
CEO of the ITAA Cork based Pat Dawson told RedFM News that he's worried the system will be overwhelmed by the backlog in passport renewals and applications, and this will drastically slow the recovery of the travel sector both at home and abroad
