Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will advise all travel agents to make prominent the regulation in relation to passports for children over 16 years of age; if notices will be displayed at all airports and seaports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33941/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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There are no special passport regulations for children over 16 years of age. The position in relation to passport facilities for all minors under the age of 18 years is as follows.

Since 1 October 2004, all minors (i.e. under 18 years) must possess their own passport and may no longer be included on their parents' passports. However, minors already included on a parent's existing valid passport may still travel on that passport to most countries up to their 16th birthday. However, I would emphasise that in the case of the United States all persons, including minors, require their own individual passport (i.e. a printed passport or, for passports issued after 26th October, a biometric passport), to enter that country under the Visa Waiver Programme. Holders of handwritten passports require a visa to enter the U.S.A.

The requirement for all persons referred to above, irrespective of age, to have their own passport has brought us into line with emerging international best practice, and was made on foot of a recommendation from the International Civil Aviation Organisation which sets international standards for travel documents. It was designed in particular to improve the security of international travel for children. Details of the changes were communicated at the time to An Post, which operates the Passport Express service, to the UK Post Office Ltd., which operates an Express Passport Service in Northern Ireland, and to Garda Stations, from which passport application forms are available. The information is also clearly set out in the notes provided with each application form under the heading "Passports for minors".

The Passport Office places advertisements on a regular basis in the daily newspapers and other selected publications when material changes affecting the passport issuing process are made. These have included changes affecting minors. The information is also on the Passport Office's website at www.passport.ie.

Officials from my Department will be attending the Irish Travel Agents Association Annual Conference/Trade Show in Dublin on 11 November 2006, and I will ask them to convey again to the ITAA the current regulations in respect of all minors under the age of 18 years.