Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1945 > Committee of Public Accounts > Interim and Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1943 - 1944

APPENDIX IV.

CHANGE OF NAME

The replies to these questions were intended to relate to naturalised aliens and to explain that they stood, in this matter, in the same position as citizens.

This, however, is not clear from the text and the witness desires, accordingly, with the permission of the Committee, to add the following remarks:—

Section 8 of the Aliens Act, 1935, prohibits an alien from assuming or using (unless he is authorised so to do by licence from the Minister for Justice) any name other than the name by which he was ordinarily and usually known on whichever of the following days is the later, the 6th day of December, 1922, or the day before the date on which he attained the age of 21 years.

No such licence appears ever to have been granted.

Apart from the restrictions contained in Section 8 of the Aliens Act, 1935, the law imposes no restriction on a person’s liberty to change his name. He is entitled to assume any name he pleases in addition to or substitution for his original name. In order to preserve testimony and to obviate the doubt and confusion which a change of name might otherwise involve, it is usual, however, for a person who changes his name to execute and register in the High Court a deed poll.

Naturalised persons enjoy all the rights and privileges of natural-born citizens and, accordingly, there is no restriction on their right to change their names.

(Signed) S. A. ROCHE,

Accounting Officer,

Department of Justice.

20th June, 1945.