Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1102. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether credit unions and other financial institutions should be allowed the option of accepting the public services card as one of a number of possible identification documents when opening an account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18217/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Since 1998, when legislative provision was first made for the PSC, it was always intended that it would be used widely across the public service to assist people in their dealings with public sector bodies. The list of public bodies that are authorised to use the PSC is set out in Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended).

That Act also provides that is an offence for any body, other than a body specified in Schedule 5, to request or accept a PSC as proof of identity.

Credit unions and other financial institutions are not specified bodies for the purposes of the PSC, so it is not possible for a person to offer their PSC as proof of identity for this purpose.

There are no plans to amend legislation to allow for the use of the PSC by non-public sector bodies.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.