25. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs whether a person who was born in the UK to an Irish mother, and was subsequently adopted by a UK family, is eligible for an Irish passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39921/24]

All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. In order to meet this requirement, each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement.

Irish citizenship is governed by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, which is under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality. Citizenship may be obtained in a number of ways, including by birth, descent, naturalisation and adoption.

Each passport applicant must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by submitting acceptable documentary evidence of their entitlement when making a first time passport application. If a person or their parent was born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005, they are an Irish citizen and they can apply for an Irish passport without making a separate application for citizenship.

The Passport Service cannot offer definitive advice in the absence of an application or any further information on the person in question. However, any person who believes themselves to be an Irish citizen is advised to make a passport application online and submit a letter outlining the details of their specific situation along with the supporting documentation required for a first time passport application, which would include all evidence they have of their entitlement to Irish citizenship. The Passport Service will assess the individual case and will follow up with the applicant directly as appropriate.

Information on what is required for all first time passport applications, including details on documentary requirements, guardianship and consent, are available at my Department’s recently updated website (www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/documentary-requirements).

Our Customer Service Hub agents are available through phone and WebChat services from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. They can be contacted at +353 1 671 1633, or via the WebChat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice/