My Department has operated a number of methods to SAFE register a person. One of these was via post where the customer had already successfully applied for and held a passport.
In the case of the Passport Office data, the photograph is verified in a face-to-face interaction at the passport application stage.
The postal method of registration was offered in the following circumstances
1. The customer was in receipt of a payment from the Department;
2. The customer was over 66 years of age and had a Free Travel entitlement; and
3. The Public Service Identity (PSI) data provided to the passport office exactly matched the data held on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) system.
In these circumstances the customer was issued a form (PSC1) offering them the facility to complete the SAFE registration process by post. It was highlighted in the communication that this would only take place with the clear consent of the customer. Thereafter my Department would utilise the passport photograph to complete the SAFE 2 process. This eliminated the need to attend at an Intreo Centre or a dedicated SAFE registration centre specifically for the purpose of registering to SAFE 2.
If and only if the customer consented to completing SAFE registration via this method, the photograph supplied to the passport office was securely uploaded to the DEASP system.
As 76% of the adult population, including 91% of all free travel customers, are now SAFE registered, this Department is no longer offering this method of registration.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
