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Passport Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Questions (226, 264)

Ruth Coppinger

Ruth Coppinger

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

226. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 6 May 2026, if passport applicants who hold a gender recognition certificate issued under the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and who are resident in Northern Ireland or overseas are required to provide two years' proof of use of their new name when applying for a passport whether as first-time or renewal applicants; if so, the legal basis for applying this requirement to GRC holders given that section 11(2)(a)(b) of the Passports Act 2008, as amended by section 38 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, does not reference any such additional requirement and given that GRC holders resident in the State are not subject to this requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38723/26]

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Ruth Coppinger

Ruth Coppinger

Ruth Coppinger

Question:

264. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 6 May 2026, if passport applicants who hold a gender recognition certificate issued under the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and who are resident in Northern Ireland or overseas are required to provide two years' proof of use of their new name when applying for a passport (whether as first-time or renewal applicants); and if so, the legal basis for applying this requirement to GRC holders given that section 11(2)(a)(b) of the Passports Act 2008, as amended by section 38 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, does not reference any such additional requirement and given that GRC holders resident in the State are not subject to this requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39533/26]

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Written answers

Helen McEntee

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 264 together.

All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the 2008 Act”), as amended, which provides the legal basis for the policies and practices that are applied by the Passport Service.

Following the Gender Recognition Act, 2015, (“the 2015 Act”), which provides a legal right to a person to have their preferred gender formally recognised by the State, applicants should provide a Gender Recognition Cert (GRC) from the Department of Social Protection with their passport application.

Regardless of where they reside, where a passport applicant is changing their name on the basis of a GRC issued by the Department of Social Protection under the 2015 Act, the Passport Service does not require two years’ proof of use of their new name.

For a passport renewal applicant, the following original documents are requested:

• Original Gender Recognition Certificate as issued by the Department of Social Protection.

• Current Irish passport.

For a first time applicant, the following original documents are requested:

• Witnessed identity verification form.

• Original Gender Recognition Certificate as issued by the Department of Social Protection.

• Original Civil Birth certificate as re-issued after gender recognition (if available).

• Proof of address such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners.

• Proof of name such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners.

• Photographic identification such as a copy of a Public Services Card or certified copy of a driver's licence.

These sensitive cases are processed by highly trained and experienced Passport Service officers, who seek to balance the rights of applicants who have changed their gender (and in some cases their name) with protecting the integrity of the Irish passport.

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