Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if individuals who are resident in the North of Ireland and have been granted leave to remain are entitled to apply for an Irish passport if they do not have access to a birth certificate, his views on the case of an individual (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67987/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended. Section 7(1)(a) of that Act provides that a person must be an Irish citizen in order for a passport to be issued. Accordingly, every applicant for a passport must submit evidence that they are an Irish citizen and, as such, are entitled to a passport.

Entitlement to Irish citizenship is determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 ("the 1956 Act"), as amended, under which Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth, by descent, or by naturalisation. The 1956 Act is under the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration.

First time passport applications are necessarily complex to process. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. It is the responsibility of the Passport Service to protect the integrity of the Irish passport. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of first time applicants.

All first time applicants are required to provide an original civil birth certificate with their application. However, if an applicant provides evidence that they have taken reasonable steps to obtain a civil birth certificate and that it is not possible, the Passport Service may accept alternative documentation on a case by case basis.

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.