David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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52. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); if a public services card is a requirement in order to make an application for a renewal passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19339/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since 29 March 2016, the Passport Service has required all first time passport applicants, aged 18 and above, who are resident in Ireland to hold a valid Public Services Card (PSC). This requirement also applies to the small number of adult passport applicants, whose passport was issued before 1 January 2005 and has been reported as lost, stolen or damaged and those whose passport expired more than five years ago. If an applicant falls in to one of the above mentioned categories of applicant, their application must include a copy of their PSC. I am informed by the Passport Service that the most recent passport issued to the individual referred to expired more than five years ago and hence a copy of the individual’s PSC is required to be submitted with their renewal application. A key principle behind the concept of the PSC is that the delivery of services is more efficient when a person’s identity does not have to be authenticated at every transaction. With specific reference to the issuance of passports, the introduction of the PSC requirement has allowed the Passport Service to dispense with requirements for certain additional documentation and reduces the overall volume of documentation that Irish citizens must submit when applying for a passport. The PSC requirement is now a key resource in the Passport Service’s efforts to combat fraud and identity theft and uphold the integrity of the Irish passport.

With reference to the legal basis for the Minister to request a copy of an applicant’s PSC, Section 7(1)(b) of the Passports Act 2008 (as amended) requires that the Minister be satisfied as to an individual’s identity before issuing an Irish passport to that person. Sections 7(2) and 7(3) allow the Minister to seek such documentary evidence and information as may be needed to establish and verify an applicant’s identity.