Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
11. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if consideration has been given or will be given to a once-off verification process so that in the case where one parent of a child dies, their surviving partner is only required to submit documents such as a death certificate once in the case of a child's passport renewals, rather than each time a renewal is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38096/26]
View answer31. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she is aware of the requirement for widowed parents to repeatedly submit bereavement documentation, including death certificates and sworn affidavits, for each renewal of a child's passport; if she will consider introducing a once-off verification process whereby such documentation would only need to be provided once unless family circumstances change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38366/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 31 together.
I fully recognise the difficulties the current process may present for bereaved families and the Passport Service seeks to be as sympathetic and supportive as possible in assisting bereaved parents throughout the application process. To this end, the Passport Service has scheduled a meeting with Widows and Bereaved Parents Ireland to discuss their concerns.
In terms of the process in place, where a child's guardian is deceased, the Passport Service requests the original death certificate of the deceased guardian and a Sole Guardian Affidavit from the surviving guardian confirming that they are the only guardian of the child.
When one guardian is deceased, it may not always be the case that the surviving parent is the only guardian of the child. For example, a guardian can, in a will or deed, appoint someone else to be a testamentary guardian after he or she dies. In addition, step-parents or other family members may have acquired guardianship of a child following the death of a parent. In order to protect the rights of children and their guardians, the Passport Service needs to confirm each time that it has the consent of all relevant guardians before it can issue a passport.
