Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2022
384. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the list of professionals who may witness a passport application has changed; and the reason that an individual using the same day renewal service in the Cork Passport Office would have been refused on the grounds of a school teacher being the witness for the purpose of the application. [33761/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to avail of the Urgent Appointment service for passport renewal, an applicant, or their guardians in the cases of children, must present themselves for the appointment with a fully completed APS 1E form and all necessary additional supporting documents. For a child renewal application via the Urgent Appointment service, there are two sections on the APS 1E form which must be completed by a witness. These two sections relate to the consent of guardians and the identity of the applicant, respectively. Section 7 of the APS 1 E form relates to consent of guardians. There are a list of acceptable witnesses for this section, which includes school teachers. Section 9 of the APS 1E form relates to the verification of the applicant's identity. This section must be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána.
With regard to the specific application to which the Deputy refers, section 9 of this application was incomplete, with no Garda witness recorded. The Passport Service made every effort to assist and advise the guardian as to the steps required to complete the application.
