asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he envisages any reform in the law to permit wives who hold joint passports with their husbands to travel without being accompanied by their husbands.
Written Answers. - Joint Passports.
534.
The practice regarding issue of an Irish joint or family passport originated in general international usage to which Ireland has conformed. Such a passport is intended as a special facility to accommodate a husband and wife travelling together who do not find it necessary to hold separate travel documents and do not wish to incur the additional fees involved in obtaining two passports rather than one. In fact relatively few family passports are now issued as most people prefer to hold their own individual passports. I agree, however, that the distinction involved in the present practice is unnecessary and I am arranging that in future a joint or family passport may be issued in the name of either spouse as desired.