Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The purpose of this section is to provide for certain circumstances. For example, as we discussed previously, certain people such as babies cannot provide signatures to register for a PPS number. Neither signatures nor photographs can be provided in respect of deceased persons. The section is to provide a facility to the Department whereby it is not required to obtain such information in cases where it is impracticable to so do. This is a purely technical amendment to the principal Act. I assure the Senator that every effort is and will continue to be made in this respect and these requirements will be obligatory. The call lies with the Department whether it requires such information. In the cases I cited, it would not need it. The call is ours, it is not the choice of the applicant and absolute security will be maintained. With the roll-out of this sophisticated card from January next, we will insist on everything that is required from applicants, but this cannot be a requirement in the case of certain people for obvious reasons. This is a technical provision. It is a case of where we introduced a simple measure and suddenly realised there were technical glitches. If someone needs a PPS number for some State business and the person concerned is deceased, obviously there are certain challenges.