Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to review the passport renewal process for minors where one parent is deceased, with particular reference to the current requirement for an affidavit of sole guardianship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53035/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Where a child's guardian is deceased, the Passport Service requests the original death certificate of the deceased guardian, consent of the surviving guardian and a Sole Guardian Affidavit from the surviving guardian confirming that they are the only guardian of the child, in order to satisfy guardian consent requirements.

While the Passport Service of course recognises the difficulties this may present for bereaved families, in order to protect the integrity of the Irish passport and the rights of the child and their guardian(s), it is important that the Passport Service is satisfied that all relevant guardians have given their consent to the issuance of each passport to a child. This is set out under Section 14(1) of the Passports Act 2008, as amended.

I would encourage people who have specific queries around such matters to contact the Passport Service for guidance and support. Applicants with any queries can contact the Customer Service Hub for assistance at +353 1 671 1633, or via the webchat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice/

Agents are available from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.