Liz McManus
Question:1216 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will amend the Registration of Births Act, 1996, to include a number of provisions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17317/02]
Written Answers. - Legislative Programme.
As the Deputy may be aware, the amendments to the Registration of Births Act, 1996, which were set out in Part 6 of the Schedule to the Social Welfare Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2002, made provision that a surname of a child could be changed on the re-registration of his-her birth to a surname jointly agreed by the parents, which could include, the mother's surname, the father's surname or a combination of the parents' surnames as entered in the register. Where there is no joint agreement by the parents in relation to the surname to be assigned to the child, the birth may be re-registered to include the father's details in the register of births. However in such instances, the surname of the child will remain as originally registered. The Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1863 to 1996, include provisions for the addition of a forename after the registration of a birth and for the correction of errors in forenames. However it is not clear that these provisions would be applicable in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy.