In July - the first full month since the EU referendum - there were 7,321 applications for Irish passports from people living in Great Britain, an increase of 73 per cent on the same period in 2015.

There were 6,638 requests from people living in Northern Ireland, an increase of 60 per cent over the same month in 2015.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has previously called for UK residents to take their time before applying for an Irish passport in the wake of the Brexit vote.

He said it would take time for the UK to negotiate its exit from the EU and an “unnecessary surge in applications for Irish passports will place significant pressure on the system and on turnaround times and is likely to impact those with a genuine need for passports to facilitate imminent travel plans”.

Mr Flanagan added: “I urge those who believe they need to apply for an Irish passport immediately to enjoy free travel in the EU, to take full account of the facts before making an application.”