Belfast City Council bid to include Northern Ireland features on new Irish passport appears to have failed

A letter of response from the Office of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin made no reference at all to the actual request from Belfast Council, and information given on the consultation dates hinted that City Hall had been too late in their appeal to the Irish government.

The new Irish passport, to be launched in 2025, will focus on flora and fauna, with the public deciding what parts of Irish nature are included. Micheál Martin launched a public survey in the Republic last summer seeking input into the design of the new Irish passport.

Last November elected members in Belfast City Hall unanimously agreed to write to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on the matter.

SDLP Councillor Gary McKeown, who made the proposition, said: “The current design of the passport only features landmarks from the Republic, despite the fact that citizenship doesn’t end at the border.

“However, the (Irish) Department of Foreign Affairs is currently redesigning the passport, so there is an opportunity to rectify this. They are considering natural features for the new version, so this is a perfect opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of this part of the island.

“I recognise there are people in this city who do not identify as Irish and choose British citizenship and I completely accept that.

“An Irish passport which artificially ignores hundreds of thousands of citizens on this part of the island doesn’t fulfil its obligations to those citizens.”

The responding letter signed by the private secretary to Micheál Martin however made no direct comment on the request. It states: “Frequent passport redesigns with enhanced security features are recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Therefore the upcoming redesign is central to maintaining the integrity and reputation of the Irish passport.

“This public consultation was conducted for an initial two-week period from June 27 to July 11. Due to the large take-up by the public, as well as to allow for more contributions, the consultation period was extended for an additional week and concluded on July 19.

“The animals and vegetation provided in the consultation represented a wide range of species that are indigenous to the island of Ireland. The lists provided were not exhaustive but represent a meaningful sample to capture the island’s wide range of flora and fauna.

“An open response box was also provided for the public to provide alternative suggestions. Overall this consultation provided for everyone with an interest in the next passport design, regardless of location, to make relevant suggestions.

“This public consultation received over 15,000 replies and is now helping to inform the design considerations for the new passport book. It is hoped that as a result of this process the public will connect with the next passport book and, in doing so, ensure the unique Irish identity is reflected in the next passport.”

No councillors commented upon the Dublin response at the City Hall committee meeting, and the original motion the request was based on was deemed closed.