Vol. 569 No. 5
23 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her proposals for the use of the personal public service number card as identification for use by people in pubs and off licenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17912/03]
The personal public services, PPS, number was introduced in the 1998 Social Welfare Act and is the individual's unique identifier in his dealings with public services. An awareness campaign for the number was launched in November 2002 and it described the number as the key to accessing services and making the delivery of benefits to citizens easier and more efficient. The wider use of the number is part of the general drive to modernise Government services and provide for a more integrated public service.
The PPS number is based on each individual's basic identity information such as name, date of birth and address and it is only issued when this information is verified. It already has an established population base as it replaced the Revenue and social insurance number, or RSI number. In addition, for some years, my Department has allocated numbers to children as child benefit is claimed.
There is a high level of awareness of the PPS number since the public awareness campaign. Over 80% of individuals surveyed since the campaign have an awareness of the PPS number and its uses, and many Departments and agencies now use the number. The important aspect in relation to the PPS number is that it is unique for each individual and, when linked to a card, it will be a reliable form of identification.
My Department currently issues a social services card. This caters for certain payment customers of my Department and it is also a permanent record of the PPS number. Each year, the card is automatically issued to individuals as they reach 16 years of age. The card visibly displays the customer's PPS number, name and signature and other details such as gender and date of birth are encoded on the card.
The social services card is well placed in terms of usage and recognition for development as a public services card. To do so, however, it will need significant upgrading to meet existing and future demands including authentication of identity. I am considering how best to move to a public service card and what the implications of this would be.
I also share the public concern about under age drinking, and in this regard my colleague, the Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform, has proposed that those aged between 18 and 25 should carry identification cards in order to be served in pubs. I will be exploring with the Minister the possibility of using the PPS number and related public services card as a means of identification for this purpose.
