Brexit is boosting the numbers of people looking for Irish passports, according to official figures.
The Department of Foreign Affairs says there has been "significant demand" for Irish citizenship since Britain voted to leave the EU.
More than 200 new staff are being hired to cope with the increase in paperwork.
The latest Department of Foreign Affairs figures show that UK applications rose 74% in January compared to the same time last year.
January this year also saw more than 7,000 people from the North apply for an Irish passport, up from 3,973 in the same month last year.