Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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312. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reasons documentation provided as proof of use of name for a passport renewal was rejected for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21772/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, all passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008 (the Act). The Act provides the legal basis for the policies and practices that are applied by the Passport Service. Section 10 of the Act broadly provides that a passport will issue in the name of a citizen as it appears on his/her birth certificate. Issuing a passport in a different name is permitted under the Act in situations such as marriage, adoption or gender reassignment, where civil or legal documents are available to verify the change. In all other cases where an individual wishes to apply for a passport in a different name, the Act specifically requires evidence of usage over a two-year period.

Given that a name change effectively replaces an existing identity with a new one, the Passport Service must ensure that stringent checks are in place to mitigate any associated risks. The documentary requirements in support of a name change are detailed on my Department’s website as follows:

“Two years’ proof of usage of the new name, e.g. any two of the following: photo ID document, payslips, utility bills, Government correspondence. For minors, school reports, letter from GP”.(www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/top-passport-questions/documentary-requirements-passport-applications/).

The Passport Service’s practice is in line with the relevant legislation and is intended to safeguard the high international reputation of the Irish passport and, in turn, protect the wellbeing and security of our citizens travelling abroad.

I am informed by officials in the Passport Service that the person in question wishes to have a passport issued in a name other than that on his birth certificate but that he has not supplied acceptable supporting documentation. The Passport Service has advised the applicant of the requirements. Until such a time as the applicant can provide the relevant documents, the Passport Service, in line with the Act, will be unable to issue a passport in the alternative name.