Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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162. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13989/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the Act”), which 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 of the new name over a two-year period.

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 their birth certificate but that they 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.

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 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.