Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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513. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason it is necessary to require a person who has been adopted and who does not hold a valid passport or driving licence to provide a copy of the adoption certificate when applying for a public services card; if her attention has been drawn to the upset that this can cause to persons who may have been adopted many decades previously; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40441/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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To ensure that people’s identity is verified to a substantial level of assurance, my Department has implemented an identity registration process called SAFE. That process involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data. Items of the identity dataset that are verified include the date and place of birth as well as the mother’s birth surname. This information is taken from the birth registration record, or in the case of adopted persons, from the adoption registration record. A PSC is issued following successful completion of the registration process.

For Irish-born nationals, the SAFE registration officers in my Department have direct electronic access to the birth register and so can usually verify these data items without the need for a person to bring their birth cert.

However, these officers do not have similar access to adoption records. Consequently, adopted persons are asked to bring their adoption certificate with them when they attend for SAFE registration.

Details of the registration process and information on the documents which a person should provide are available on the Department’s website at .

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.