asked the Minister for Health the outcome of the examination by his Department into the system of registering births and deaths; and when amending legislation will be introduced.
63.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Registration of Births and Deaths.
62.
asked the Minister for Health if he will now amend the Vital Statistics Regulations, 1954 and the Vital Statistics (Amendment) Regulations, 1957 to obviate the need to personally hand particulars of births to the Registrar.
Mr. O'Malley
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I would like to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together.
The examination of the existing system for the registration of births and deaths has not yet been completed in my Department. This question is, of course, affected by the proposal to abolish the dispensary system. I cannot, at present, state when the Bill to amend the existing law relating to the registration of births and deaths will be introduced.
Since the persons who are obliged legally to register a birth or death, including the occupier in the case of the event occurring in a hospital or institution, are required to attend at the Registrar's Office for the purpose of signing the appropriate register, no inconvenience is involved in complying with the existing provisions of the Vital Statistics Regulations.
In these circumstances, I do not at present propose to amend these Regulations, but the matter will be reviewed in connection with any changes which may be made in the system of registration.
Surely the Minister is aware that one-third of the parents of newly-born children have to attend personally at dispensaries and join queues of people seeking medical attention to personally hand over certificates; furthermore, that in many Dublin dispensaries, in fact, the dispensary doctor is seldom available for this purpose and the form is, in practice, taken by an unauthorised official.
Mr. O'Malley
What the Deputy says is correct in some areas and in certain areas in Dublin.
Is it not the position that the Minister could change it by regulation?
Mr. O'Malley
This matter is under examination.