Irish passport for child when father is absent.

[PassportSupport]

I’m a regular but don’t want my other posts connected to this as it could identify us.

I’m from NI, born here, DC both born here. We’ve always lived here so are all entitled to Irish passports. DC have same father (we were never married) but he is only named on one of their birth certificates. He has been absent from their lives since June of 2017. There was social services involvement that advised I stop contact and then later they supervised it and were in the process of building up his contact. He stopped paying child support in November of 2018. (I’m not going to pursue that) There is no contact whatsoever. I am extremely happy with this as the impact on our DC has been unbelievable. They are completely different children now they have had almost two years of stability and peace.

The issue is I can’t apply for a passport for DC2 without contacting his father and asking him to sign the application. For the reasons explained above I will not do that. I would rather none of us have the Irish passports (we do all have British passports - although DC’s will expire in a couple of years) than awaken the beast and invite him back into our lives.

I’m wondering if there is any legal time limit after which the absent parent no longer needs to provide permission. I’m aware I can go to court and ask a judge to order him to sign his permission but I don’t want to do that either. It’s still opening the door from him to try and cause us trouble again. I want zero engagement with him.

Does anyone know if there is any way round this? I’m assuming there isn’t and that’s fine, we’ll just do without the passports but I figured it’s worth asking and knowing for sure.

Thanks in advance.

[beanaseireann]

I've no information sorry but will bump this for you.

[PassportSupport]

GRMA beanaseireann

[ItStartedWithAKiss241]

You need his signature on a passport in NI? Are you sure? X

[PassportSupport]

Well that was my understanding of reading the website as he is named on the birth certificate. I may have misinterpreted it. I’ll try and find the part I read.

[Rtmhwales]

Call the passport office and ask.

My situation is different in that I was legally married to DS's British father but didn't list him on the birth certificate. I'm not British and no longer live there. I called and asked what to do and was advised if he didn't want to sign, to write a letter outlining he had no involvement and any proof of paternity I could find (in my case, child support deposits helped).

If your children are close in age and share the same surname, a copy of your older DC's passport and a letter?

[PassportSupport]

www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/top-passport-questions/consent-for-children/

At the very bottom of this page it refers to children born in NI or GB says father’s named on birth certificate are considered a guardian and so have to fill in the relevant permission on the form which must be witnessed.

[PassportSupport]

Thank you Rtmhwales there are 4 years between DC and both have my surname.

[mamaraah]

Hi @PassportSupport did you manage to sort out the passport problem? My dc have Irish passports and it does say on the forms that a court order is needed to get a passport without dads permission if he is on the birth cert. your other dc needs some sort of. Solicitors form signed

[TriJo]

My aunt got a sworn affidavit in a Dublin court to get Irish passports for her 3 sons, her ex-husband had moved back to Scotland when the boys were young and could not be found.

[imke0]

Hi @PassportSupport just wondering if there was a resolution was to this matter? I am fact-finding for my sister in a similar position. She's/we're from NI, and the father of her youngest child is on the birth certificate but he is totally MIA, he gave up seeking access, not even sure his own family know where he is/if alive etc. So without his permission she can't complete a passport application for her youngest kid.

Sister would like her kids & herself to travel on the same passport but needs a workaround for this issue.