Cork's new passport office to be delayed until 2027 and will not offer one-day urgent service

Cork's passport office is to move from South Mall to Nacigation Square. Picture: Denis Minihane

Cork’s new passport office, which is likely to be delayed until the end of 2027, will not offer a one-day urgent passport service when it does open, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.

Last July, Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was intended a new passport office would be fully operational on Albert Quay by autumn 2026.

The public-facing passport service would move 500m downriver from its base at 1A South Mall to a new location at Navigation Square, on a site that was once proposed for Cork’s long-delayed event centre.

In February, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it expected the new office to open “in Q4 2026”, adding it could not be more specific regarding an opening date as the Office of Public Works was project-managing the fit-out of the new office.

Four months after that response, Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, was told the opening date had slipped back again, seemingly until at least the end of 2027.

“It is anticipated that construction and fit-out works will be completed in Q2 2027,” Mr McGrath was told.

The department added a further period would be required “for client-specific installations”.

It is understood if construction and fit-out are completed by the revised summer 2027 date, additional installations would likely last until at least year end.

Asked about the possibility of a one-day urgent passport service in the Cork office, the department said such a facility would necessitate the purchase and installation of a new printer and mailing machine.

This would have an initial capital cost of about €5.3m, and the “highly sophisticated” machine would require expert engineers to be on-site while it was in operation, with estimated annual costs of €600,000.

The department added about 97% of all applications are made through Passport Online, which issues “the vast majority of adult renewal passports within two working days”.

“Our records show that just 1.7% of all passport applicants avail of the urgent appointment service.

“During 2025, there were an average of 240 urgent appointments for a four-day turnaround service available in Cork each week.” 

Mr McGrath said with the Cork office serving the southern region, improving the urgent service needed to be prioritised.

“If passports must be printed in Dublin for the foreseeable future, then surely we can look at providing a two-day turnaround option,” he said.