Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The only place we can print passports in an emergency is Dublin. Even if someone goes into the Passport Office in Cork to see someone at the desk, the passport cannot be printed there and then. Many people who need passports quickly fly out of Dublin which is by miles the busiest airport. We are trying to move the process to a place where we can have a lot more interaction online as the technology allows us to do more and more. The geographical location where passports are printed will become less relevant, but I take the point and we will keep the matter under review.

We are reopening the consular service in Cardiff next month. There are no plans to reopen an embassy in Iran, but the issue has been raised on several occasions.