Permission can only be given by the individual/s that has parental responsibility for the child. Parental responsibility is defined as: The natural Mother always has parental responsibility. The Natural father gains paternal responsibility: • If he’s married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth. • If he marries the mother after the child’s birth, he has parental responsibility if he lives in Northern Ireland at the time of the marriage. • An unmarried father has parental responsibility if he’s named, or becomes named, on the child’s birth certificate (from 15 April 2002).