Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021
295. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a reduced fee for birth certificates provided to organisations for disadvantaged and socially excluded persons such as an organisation (details supplied) on behalf of housing applicants has ceased. [45817/21]
View answer296. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons local authority housing applicants must continue to provide birth certificates with their applications in view of the fact that social protection applicants do not have to produce birth certificates because her Department can access them itself; and if she will give consideration to enabling local authorities to access birth certificate information upon the request of a housing applicant given the limited financial means of many applicants. [45818/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together.
The requirements to provide birth certificates to access housing supports is a matter for each local authority. Arrangements are already in place between Local Authorities and the Department of Social Protection to enable information, including birth information, to be made available to enable applications to be processed.
I understand that my Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Local Government Management Agency are currently working to extend these data-sharing systems to facilitate the verification of birth and other information across agencies without the need for applicants to provide documentary evidence of age and to therefore remove the requirement for the production of a birth certificate.
The Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended, provides for the Minister for Social Protection to prescribe the fees for certificates and services provided by the Civil Registration Services. The current scheme does not provide for reduced fees for certificates required for housing applicants.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
