Applying for Irish Passport As a Naturalised Citizen

[lotusland]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this query to, but I can't seem to find my particular query addressed anywhere else.

I've gone through the list of required documents for the passport application; it states that your passport from your country of origin must be submitted with the application.

My question is this: If one applies IN PERSON at the passport office, will they allow you to keep your home country passport while your Irish passport is being processed?

As one has to make an appointment to even submit a passport application in person, I was hoping that the person checking the documents at that time would then allow me to keep my country's passport. Perhaps they have some kind of checklist to indicate that original documents were reviewed?

This question is not addressed on the dfa.ie website and I have had absolutely no success with ringing the posted contact numbers for either Cork or Dublin.

The reason this is an issue is that it states that a first time application for a naturalised citizen takes 20 working days to process - so a month in other words. During that time, I will need to have my original passport as I have to travel between Ireland and the UK for business reasons.

Does anyone know if the in-person appointment process would allow you to keep your home country passport? Anyone been through this process before?