Minister Humphreys announces significant reforms to Civil Registration System
- Published on: 2 May 2023
- Last updated on: 2 June 2023
- new Bill will enable families to register major life events online for first time
- registration of a death where a Coroner’s Inquest has not concluded
- improvements to the stillbirth registration process for families who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has announced a series of significant reforms to the system in which births and deaths are registered.
The Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2023 will enable families to register births and deaths online for the first time.
Since the current civil registration system was introduced in 1864, families have been required to obtain a notification form and provide it to an official registrar in person.
The changes being introduced by Minister Humphreys will give people greater flexibility when it comes to registering major life events.
Minister Humphreys has also responded positively to calls to introduce changes to the system of registering still births, while still safeguarding the privacy of families.
The Register of Stillbirths will now be expanded to other relatives of the stillborn child where currently only the parents may search the Register and obtain a certificate.
Such a move has been called for by advocacy groups in order to provide greater recognition of stillbirth babies.
The objective of the Bill is to enable:
- online registration of births and deaths
- reduction in the time in which a death must be registered from the current 3-month timeframe to 28 days
- revision to the criteria for registering stillbirths and improved access to the stillbirth register
- the registration of a death where a coroner’s inquest has not been concluded
Commenting on the Bill, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am pleased to have secured Cabinet approval for the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2023.
“This Bill looks to modernise the Civil Registration Service where the current requirement to attend in person has gone unchanged since the introduction of civil registration in Ireland in 1864. This new customer service channel will give greater flexibility to parents and relatives seeking to register life events.
“Following a recent public consultation process, this Bill will also allow for a new process for registering deaths and for reducing the timeframe in which a death must be registered. This will bring Ireland in line with death registration practices in other countries and will ensure that deaths are notified and registered at the earliest opportunity.”
The Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill will ensure:
- greater flexibility for people seeking to register life events as they will no longer need to attend in person
- improved collection of statistics on deaths to support public health management and monitoring by the introduction of a requirement for hospitals to notify the General Register Office of a death within 2 days
- improvements to the stillbirth registration process for families who have experienced the loss of a child in pregnancy
- practical assistance to next-of-kin where a coroner’s inquest is required
Minister Humphreys concluded:
“Parents and advocacy groups have lobbied for the changes to the stillbirth criteria and for broadening access to the Register of Stillbirths and I am very happy to support them by bringing forward the necessary legislation.
“I am also bringing forward changes that will enable deaths that are referred to a Coroner to be registered before the Coroner has determined the cause of death. This will help speed up the death registration process. Importantly, it will also enable families of the deceased to register the death and receive a death certificate. Currently, the next-of-kin only have access to an interim Coroner’s certificate.”
Notes
The General Register Office, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, is the State authority with responsibility for the registration and recording of life events such as births, stillbirths, marriages, deaths, adoptions, gender recognition, civil partnerships.
Following a public consultation process on revising the manner by which deaths are registered in the State, the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill provides for a reduction in the time in which a death must be registered from the current three-month timeframe to 28 days. Hospitals will be required to notify the General Register Office within 2 days of a death, which will enable more timely information on deaths to be received to support public health management and monitoring.
The Bill also seeks to amend the criteria for the registration of stillbirths to reflect advances in clinical practices and recommendations by the Department of Health. Current criteria permit registration where the stillborn child weights at least 500 grammes or reaches a gestational age of 24 weeks. The proposals look to reduce these thresholds to 400 grammes and 23 weeks respectively. In cases of multiple pregnancies, if any child reaches the criteria for stillbirth, then any other children will also be recorded as a stillbirth, provided they each weigh 200 grammes or more.
In addition, access to the Register of Stillbirths is being expanded to other relatives of the stillborn child where currently only the parents may search the Register and obtain a certificate.
Provision is also being made to enable the registration of a death where a Coroner has yet to conclude their inquiries. The current arrangement whereby deaths can only be registered once a coroner’s report is completed delays the death registration process and creates practical difficulties for families who are seeking to manage the affairs of the deceased person.