Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the exact statutory provision which is preventing a public services card being issued in the case of a person (details supplied). [16567/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The legislation governing the issuance of a Public Services Card is contained in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended.

Section 263(1C) states –

“The Minister shall not issue a public services card to a person unless the Minister is satisfied as to the identity of the person to whom such card is to be issued. ^”

Section 263B states –

“(1) For the purposes of satisfying himself or herself as to the identity of a person in respect of whom a personal public service number is to be allocated and issued under section 262, or in respect of whom a public services card is to be issued under section 263, the Minister may, without prejudice to any other method of authenticating the identity of that person, request that person -(a) to attend at an office of the Minister or such other place as the Minister may designate as appropriate,

(b) to provide to the Minister, at that office or other designated place, such information and to produce any document to the Minister as the Minister may reasonably require for the purposes of authenticating the identity of that person,

(c) to allow a photograph or other record of an image of that person to be taken, at that office or other designated place, in electronic form, for the purposes of the authentication, by the Minister, at any time, of the identity of that person, and (d) to provide, at that office or other designated place, a sample of his or her signature in electronic form for the purposes of the authentication, by the Minister, at any time, of the identity of that person.”

As the person concerned is originally from outside of the EEA, they are required to produce a current valid passport. In this instance, the person does not have the required document. As a result, alternative enquiries are being made to ascertain sufficient information to make a decision on whether the person’s identity can be authenticated to a sufficient degree. As soon as these enquiries are completed my Department will be in contact with the person concerned.

It is important to remember that a person may only be issued a Public Services Card where there is a high level of assurance as to his or her identity and I am sure that the Deputy can appreciate how important it is that my Department takes all the necessary steps to so satisfy itself.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.