Alan Shatter
Question:448 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children in each of the years from 1990 to 1999 whose births have been re-registered as a consequence of the children being legitimised following their parents marrying each other; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that prior to the coming into operation of the Registration of Births Act, 1996, birth certificates could be amended, where a legitimisation and a subsequent re-registration took place, to enable the child adopt the surname of his or her father if the parents so wished; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that since the coming into operation of the 1996 Act, this is no longer possible; and the plans he has to change the law in this regard. [24023/00]