74. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will scrap the requirement for a widowed parent to provide a signed affidavit each time they renew a child’s passport, and instead make this a requirement for the first application only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57491/26]

I fully recognise the difficulties the current process may present for bereaved families and the Passport Service seeks to be as sympathetic and supportive as possible in assisting bereaved parents throughout the application process.

In terms of the process in place, where a child's guardian is deceased, the Passport Service requests the original death certificate of the deceased guardian and a Sole Guardian Affidavit from the surviving guardian confirming that they are the only guardian of the child.

When one guardian is deceased, it may not always be the case that the surviving parent is the only guardian of the child. For example, a guardian can, in a will or deed, appoint someone else to be a testamentary guardian after he or she dies. In addition, step-parents or other family members may have acquired guardianship of a child following the death of a parent. In order to protect the rights of children and their guardians, the Passport Service needs to confirm each time that it has the consent of all relevant guardians before it can issue a passport.

The Passport Service is continuously looking at ways to make the application process easier for applicants and has met with Widows and Bereaved Parents Ireland to discuss their concerns. The Passport Service is currently reviewing its processes relating to the documentary requirements for children of deceased parents.