Marian Harkin
Question:353. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for widow’s pension will be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46170/23]
View answerTuesday, 24 October 2023
Questions (353)
Written answers
One of the criteria for widow(er)'s & surviving civil partner's contributory pension, is that the applicant must be the legal spouse, or civil partner, of the deceased. For marriages that took place outside Ireland, we require the original civil marriage certificate, that shows the civil status of the parties to the marriage.
The person concerned submitted a photocopy of a church marriage certificate from Zambia. A church certificate confirms that a marriage is recognised by the church, but does not necessarily mean it is recognised legally. Contact details for the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Zambia have been provided to the person concerned. If their renewed attempt to obtain an original civil marriage certificate from the Registrar General is unsuccessful, they should forward confirmation to my Department of the efforts made and any relevant correspondence.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.