Sinn Féin MLA Jemma Dolan has called on the Dublin government to open a much-needed Irish Passport Office in the North.
The Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA was speaking after it emerged that the Irish Passport Office has temporarily suspended posting passports to the North and to Britain.
She said: "News that the Irish Passport Office has temporarily suspended posting passports to the North clearly highlights the need for the [Dublin] government to open a passport office here in the North.
"As we head into the new year, and people plan their holidays, this situation is causing uncertainty and concern for prospective travellers.
"This news comes on the back of another record-breaking year with almost 128,000 [Irish passport] applications coming from citizens in the North."
Miss Dolan said with 50,000 of those being first time applications, a passport office in the North "just makes sense".
She continued: "Sinn Féin will continue to raise this pressing issue at all levels with the government in Dublin.
"The [Dublin] government must engage positively with its citizens here in the North and deliver for us."
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