Ireland has seen a surge in applications for passports following the UK's vote to leave the European Union.
An estimated 10 per cent of British people are entitled to an Irish passport because their parents or grandparents were born in Ireland.
Nearly 45,000 people have lodged an application for an Irish passport in Britain in the first five months of 2018, according to figures from Neale Richmond, chair of the Irish Senate's Brexit Committee.
This number could exceed 90,000 by the end of 2018, according to the committee.
The half-yearly tally nearly eclipses the total amount of applications in 2015 - the year before the Brexit vote - of more than 46,000 (excluding Northern Ireland).
In 2017, the number nearly doubled to 81,000.
"Since the people of the UK voted, narrowly, to leave the EU in 2016; we have seen a continuing rise in the number of applications for Irish passports in the UK," Mr Richmond said in a statement.
“Current rules entitle those born to Irish parents or grandparents to apply for an Irish passport through a claim to citizenship.
“At least 10 per cent of the UK’s population, not including Northern Ireland, are estimated to qualify for an Irish passport and in light of Brexit; many including a number of my own family members are staking their claim to an Irish passport.
“Figures released to me by the Irish Embassy in London have shown that there is no sign of this rush for Irish passports abating."
"Embassy officials predict that based on this, 2018 will be the busiest year so far for Irish passport applications in the UK," he added.
Australians can claim an Irish passport if:
- One of your parents or grandparents were born in Ireland
- One of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, but was not born in Ireland.
