The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: correction and apology

IN yesterday’s Irish Daily Mail we published an article incorrectly stating that it was necessary to have a mobile phone to get a Public Services Card. This claim was based on a misinterpretation of a Parliamentary Question which stated that it is necessary to have a mobile phone to operate a MyGovID account, which is used to access services online. However, a MyGovID account is NOT required to obtain a Public Services Card – and nor is a mobile phone.

Irish Daily Mail journalistic procedures require that an organisation which is featured in an article of this type be contacted in advance of publication to seek verification and comment.

This contact did not occur in this instance: had the Department been contacted, they would have pointed out the error and the article would not have been published. We would like to apologise for this oversight, and for the erroneous article that was published as a result.

This newspaper is committed to always correcting errors of fact where they occur and is delighted to be able to set the record straight in this instance.

The Department has asked us to point out that it has published a ‘Comprehensive Guide to SAFE Registration and the PSC’, which has 54 detailed questions and answers covering a wide range of queries about the SAFE Registration process. This document can be found on its website https://www. welfare.ie/en/Pages/Public-ServicesCard_holder.aspx under ‘Downloads’.