Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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244. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 60 of 25 February 2015, the reason, for issuing a new personal public service number card, deed poll documentation, signed by a solicitor, is not sufficient; the reason such documentation must be registered with the High Court and a fee paid before it is deemed valid for the purposes of issuing a new personal Public service number card; and if she will reconsider the current instructions issued by her Department on the matter and allow for deed poll documentation, signed by a solicitor, to suffice for the purposes of issuing a new personal public service number card. [18444/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Generally, the accepted method for notifying this Department of a change of name is through provision of evidence of "use and repute". Evidence of over two years of usage of the new name is required via presentation of two documents such as a driver's licence, a college identification card, a school report, a pay slip, utility bills, bank statements or official correspondence from a public or private sector organisation.

In some cases, there may be a pressing need to change a name with immediate effect. This can be executed through a deed poll which is a signed declaration by a person that binds them to a particular course of action from the date of signing. A deed poll for a change of name contains declarations that a person is abandoning the use of their old name.

There is no requirement to enrol a deed poll in the Central Office of the High Court in order for the deed poll to have a legal significance. However, the enrolment of a deed poll in the Central Office places a change of name on a publicly accessible record. In addition, enrolling the deed poll means that a record of the change of name is preserved for future identification and a certified copy of the original enrolled deed poll can be obtained, if required.

From the Department's perspective, enrolment in the High Court where a publicly accessible record is preserved provides a level of public proof of the change of name to be acceptable as an alternative to evidence of “use and repute” over two years.