The number of people applying for passports has risen by 145 per cent in the last decade, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In 1995, there were 265,000 passports issued, but this rose to 458,000 by 2000, and is expected to reach 650,000 this year.
The department said there were several reasons for the increase. "People are just taking more holidays abroad, so there's a greater need for passports, and there's also more direct flights out of Ireland and more budget holiday companies operating here," said a spokeswoman.
New rules which stopped children from travelling on their parents' passports last year contributed slightly to the increase, with a 4 per cent rise in applications from minors.
The cost of a standard 10-year passport increased from €57 to €75 last year to pay for the cost of a new €27 million passport production facility in Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
The Government is now expected to raise around €33 million from passport fees this year.
The Irish Travel Agents' Association said the boom in foreign travel had been a key factor in the increase in passport ownership.
Up to 3,000 applications a day are reaching the passport offices in Dublin and Cork.