Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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553. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he or officials in his Department have had discussions regarding the public services card; if so, the detail of those discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47008/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My Department is represented on the Implementation and Policy Group for Public Service Identity chaired by the Government's Chief Information Officer which, as part of its remit, receives updates on the roll out of the card. A working group led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has also been attended by officials from my Department.  My Department's involvement in these discussions centred around the Public Services Card being used as a replacement for the Garda Age Card (subject to the relevant legislative change). Discussions around the most appropriate legislative vehicle to achieve this change are on-going with the Department of Social Protection.  

As the Deputy will be aware, non-EEA nationals who remain in the State for more than 90 days are required to register their permission to reside in the State, and are issued with a registration certificate.  The registration certificate is a polycarbonate card, the size of a credit card.  Officials of INIS have held discussions with officials of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection concerning the potential to combine the registration certificate with the Public Service Card for those who require both cards.  However, there are significant technical issues which will need to be overcome if the cards are to be combined in one. 

Finally, from September 2016 all persons applying for a certificate of naturalisation who are aged 18 and above and who are resident in the State must be registered with the Department of Social Protection for a Public Services Card (PSC).  This is an important measure for identification purposes and to protect against fraud and identity theft and to uphold the integrity of the Irish naturalisation and citizenship process. It also ensures that the identity of applicants for naturalisation will be verified to a high standard.