Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
511. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure by which a legal guardian can establish their consent to their child has been given refugee status here applying for travel documents which have a requirement for the legal guardian to sign the form in the presence of a garda but the legal guardian lives in Iraq. [54594/17]
View answerI am informed by the Travel Documents Section of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, which issues travel documents to holders of protection status, that the normal procedure for application on behalf of minors is that the parents or legal guardians would sign the application form in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána, while accompanied by the child. This approach would require the parents or legal guardians, if outside the State, to travel to Ireland. As a safeguard, they would also have to substantiate their bona fides in relation to the child.
In this particular case, the Deputy's question does not contain sufficient information to give a specific response. For example, the Travel Documents Section would need to know if the legal guardian in question is a parent, and whether there is more than one parent or legal guardian. If the person is not a parent, the grounds for the claimed guardianship would need to be substantiated. Under circumstances under which travel to Ireland is not possible, there may be scope to involve the assistance of the nearest Irish Embassy. In order to receive a detailed response to the particular situation in question, the Deputy or the legal guardian should make email contact with the INIS Travel Documents Section at INIStravdoc@justice.ie, or by post to Travel Documents Section, Ministerial Decisions Unit, Repatriation Division, INIS, Department of Justice and Equality, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.
