A Fine Gael senator is calling for a Junior Minister for Passports to be appointed to deal with the current backlog.
Martin Conway says the situation has become a "national emergency".
Staffing levels at the Passport Office have already been tripled to help deal with the backlog which currently stands at 195,000 applications.
At the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting last night, one TD is understood to have called for the removal of the secretary general at the Department of Foreign Affairs over the issue.
Senator Conway says drastic action is needed;
"I want a Minister of State appointed with specific responsibility for tackling the situation in the Passport Office. That person would go into the Passport Office, put new processes and procedures in place, they would also deal with the communications issue."
