Vol. 540 No. 3
74 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the means by which a person may acquire a passport if it is impossible for him or her to acquire a birth certificate; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties this presents for certain minority groups; and if he will consider such a request from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 as a matter of urgency. [20840/01]
Only an Irish citizen may hold an Irish passport and the Passport Office requires documentary proof of citizenship before issuing a passport. The usual form of proof required from persons born in Ireland is their birth certificates in the long form.
In cases where this proof is not available, for instance where a birth has not been registered, the Passport Office usually provides temporary passport facilities on the basis of alternative evidence of birth in Ireland such as a baptismal certificate. In such cases the Passport Office requests that the person arrange for late registration of his or her birth so that full passport facilities may subsequently be provided.
The Passport Office does not have a record of the person, whose details have been given by the Deputy, yet having presented a passport application. The Passport Office is contacting him directly to assist him with his application.
