Fine Gael TD Barry Ward to Propose Passport Act Amendment for Parents with Different Surnames

Fine Gael TD Barry Ward is pushing for legislative changes to the Passports Act 2018 to address difficulties faced by parents, particularly women, who travel internationally with children but do not share the same surname. Currently, these parents are often required to carry their child’s birth certificate to prove their relationship, a practice Ward deems unnecessary and discriminatory.

Ward has proposed solutions such as listing children’s names on a parent’s passport or parents’ names on a child’s passport, noting similar practices exist for diplomatic passports. Despite these suggestions being dismissed as unworkable by some, Ward has written to Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and plans to introduce a private members bill if administrative changes are not adopted.

Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell, speaking for the foreign affairs minister, stated that the passport service does not include guardians’ names on children’s passports, nor is it required by current legislation. He explained that including children on a guardian’s passport is being phased out internationally to enhance child travel security, as it previously lacked photo identification for the child. The Department of Foreign Affairs maintains that requesting additional documents safeguards children’s rights and has no plans to expand a passport’s purpose to indicate guardianship.