A Limerick woman has requested that her baby’s PPS number, which contains the numbers ‘666’, be changed on “religious grounds”.
According to the Examiner, a mother has made a parliamentary enquiry to see if she could secure a different PPS number for her newborn.
Following three failed attempts to get the Department of Social Protection to provide a new PPS sequence on “religious grounds”, the woman contacted local Fianna Fail TD Willie O’Dea who raised the issue as a parliamentary question.
The case was put to Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton in the Dáil.
A spokesperson for Mr O’Dea said: “She has now been informed by the department that they wouldn’t change the number, as it’s done automatically and they don’t create designer numbers for people.”
He also stated that while the woman is not particularly superstitious, she “felt uncomfortable” with the number due to its association with the devil.
Minister Burton said of the matter: “PPS numbers are automatically allocated to children born in the State once the birth is registered within three months of the date of birth.
“The number allocated is randomly selected from the series of numbers available. In general PPS numbers are only changed where a person’s number has been compromised.”
The number ‘666’ is referred to as the ‘number of the beast’ in the Bible.
It is also well known as having connotations with evil and bad omens.