PARENTS WHO DO not share the same surname as their children are being forced to carry their child’s birth certificate when travelling, says a Fine Gael TD who wants to propose legislation if a solution isn’t found. 

Fine Gael TD Barry Ward said when travelling internationally with their children, many parents face difficulties because the surname on their passport is different from the surname of their children.

In such scenarios, they have to demonstrate that the child is their child, and are often asked to present or carry a birth certificate of the child at the airport.

“They should not have to do that,” Ward told the Dáil recently, stating that many women who get married do not take their husband’s name nowadays.

“We no longer live in a world where we expect women to take their husband’s names. Yet we live in a world where we expect them to carry extra documentation so they can travel internationally with their children,” he said. 

Ward told The Journal that he has raised the issue in the Seanad and the Dáil, but is not satisfied with the responses he has received.  

He said the situation disproportionately affects women.

Ward suggested that children’s names could be listed on the page opposite the identity page in a parent’s passport or the parents’ names could be listed on the child’s passport. 

He said his suggestion has been dismissed as unworkable, but Ward notes that it does happen in other instances, such as on diplomatic passports, which notes the status (ambassador or diplomat) of the holder on the page opposite the photo page. 

The Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown TD said he has written to the Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and has asked her to consider making these changes to the passport format.

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“In the absence of there being a power to do so in the Passports Act 2018, I will bring forward a private members bill to amend the Passports Act to allow for this to happen,” he told The Journal.

“Irish passports are very valuable, their security is very closely guarded, and they’re important documents that confer important rights. However, we shouldn’t require some citizens to carry additional documentation when this is a situation that can be resolved by a simple administrative change and I hope that this will be taken on board,” said Ward. 

Speaking on behalf of the foreign affairs minister in the Dáil, Minister of State at the Department of Health Kieran O’Donnell said the passport service does not include guardians’ names on children’s passports, nor is this required under the current legislation.

He noted that it is possible that the guardianship circumstances of a child can change and the practice of allowing children to be included on a guardian’s passport is being phased out internationally.

“This is intended to make international travel more secure for children. The previous practice of including a child on a guardian’s passport meant that the child was not identified via photograph prior to travel,” he explained. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it understands that situations arise where a guardian is travelling with their child who does not share their surname, and the guardian may be requested to produce further documents confirming the guardianship link.

It said the purpose of border control authorities requesting further information is to safeguard the rights of children and their guardians.

“The passport service does not have any plans to expand the purpose of a passport to indicate a guardianship relationship between a child and their guardians but continues to consider ways in which to enhance their essential citizen service,” said the department.