I move amendment No. 65:
In page 29, subsection (2), lines 2 to 5, to delete all words from and including "and" in line 2, down to and including "receipt" in line 5.
This amendment is to delete that part of section 32 (2) which reads as follows:
. . . and, upon receipt by him [that is the registrar] or her of such a notification, he or she shall make it available at his or her office or place of business for inspection by members of the public during ordinary office hours in the month following its receipt.
May I make it clear that I am in favour of the three months' notice of marriage. I am referring to the proposal that notification and details of the marriage be displayed at the registrar's office for a month. That is undue intrusion into private lives. I would have to be sure that such a provision is necessary before I could support it. My daughter got married last year and I know the commercial pressures which are exerted by hoteliers, florists, establishments offering wedding lists, car hire firms and other businesses. This notice being displayed in public will add considerably to the pressure from commercial interests. The time before a wedding is tense enough for a young couple. It is also an expensive time without offering potential to commerical interests to exert undue pressure on the couple.
The Minister will be aware that people in certain areas of Dublin are now reluctant to put obituary notices in the newspapers informing the public of the time and place of a burial because on a number of occasions houses have been burgled when the owners were attending a funeral. People suspect that burglars get their information from the obituary notices in newspapers. Something similar could happen during weddings and the pickings would be much richer as wedding presents are likely to be stored in the house. A day which ought to be one of great joy for the couple and their relatives could become a day of sorrow if the house is burgled in their absence. That additional factor ought to be taken into consideration.
There is also the general question of intrusion into the private lives of people. Some people do not wish to have their weddings publicised. Most people like to see their photographs in the newspapers but others, for a number of reasons, shy from such publicity. I am quite sure that a relationship will grow between either the registrar or a member of his or her staff and the newspapers regarding weddings of a possibly controversial nature. There is great difficulty in preventing that occurring anyway. However, I wonder if we ought to assist the tabloid press in particular in these cases.
I have not substituted anything to replace the section because I want the Minister to explain why he thinks notification is necessary. I will consider what to do about the amendment on the basis of his reply. I will raise other pertinent matters if he insists on keeping this section in the Bill.