Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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881. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of complaints from citizens living in rural areas who are having difficulty in getting their passport forms signed by a member of An Garda Síochána due to the closure of Garda Síochána stations or a reduction in their hours of opening; and his plans to change the passport application system to reflect this new reality, and to make the application process easier for these citizens. [37923/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The current system of Gardaí witnessing passport application forms has been a vital element of the identity verification for the Passport Service, as it provides initial assurance that the person in the photograph is the same person presenting to submit the passport application form. Also in the case of an application for a minor it provides evidence that both parents give consent for a passport to be issued to the child and reduces the risk of abduction. I am aware of the difficulties which witnessing of forms places on Garda resources and on citizens who do not have a Garda station in their immediate locality. However this requirement must remain for the moment to mitigate against fraudulent passport applications or identity theft and to maintain the integrity of the Irish Passport for our citizens travelling and residing abroad. The Passport Service is currently scoping a project to redevelop the passport application process as part of the Passport Reform Programme. It is anticipated that the Garda witnessing requirement for adults renewing their passports will be reviewed as part of this process. The reform programme will also introduce a number of new identity verification and anti-fraud measures to ensure that the integrity of the Irish Passport is maintained.