All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 ("the 2008 Act"), as amended. The 2008 Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person.
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.
When processing a first time application, the Passport Service must validate the identity of the applicant and confirm their entitlement to Irish citizenship.
With regard to the Deputy's query regarding a child born in the State, on or after 1 January 2005, to a EU/EEA/Swiss national parent, the aforementioned child may be an Irish citizen if one of their parents resided in Ireland for at least 36 of the 48 months (1,095 days) immediately prior to the applicant’s birth.
Proof of residency of the parent in Ireland, for at least 36 of the 48 months, prior to the child’s birth should be submitted when the passport application is made. Proof of residency can be tax documents (P60, P45, P21), bank statements, payslips, or certain social welfare payments.
Passport Online provides an award-winning customer experience for all applicants, including first time applicants. When using Passport Online, the information provided by first time applicants is used to generate a custom coversheet that will provide the applicant with a bespoke list, in plain English, of the documents that they must submit as part of their application.
I would ask the Deputy to encourage applicants with specific queries 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, 9a.m. to 4.30p.m.
