If you’re over 18, that is.

In what is very welcome news for Irish adult citizens who need to renew their passport in the near future, Irish passport holders will be able to do so online from Thursday, March 30th onwards. According to the Leinster Express, the service will be launched by Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan on Wednesday and will only be available, for now at least, to applicants over the age of 18. First-time applicants and those under the age of 18 will have to apply using the system that currently exists. The Online Passport Application Service (OPAS) will be available to access via the Department of Foreign Affairs website, promising a more convenient and secure service which will offer faster and more predictable turnaround times. The ability for Irish citizens to renew their passports online follows on from the introduction on an online application tracking service and an interactive webchat that will facilitate “real-time” communication between the Passport Service and passport applicants. The changes are all part of comprehensive reform programme of the passport system announced by Minister Flanagan in 2015 that is scheduled to run until 2019, a programme Flanagan says "aims to deliver a more efficient, integrated and citizen-focused passport service with an increased emphasis on fraud detection and prevention measures to maintain the integrity of the Irish passport".