Vol. 455 No. 8
70 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health the responsibility he has in relation to the registration of births, marriages and deaths; and the guidelines, if any, that are issued to the Registrar in relation to foreign divorces. [12680/95]
Limerick East): The registration of births, deaths and marriages is statutorily a matter for an tArd-Chláraitheoir (Registrar-General) and for local Registrars who operate under his direction. An tArd-Chláraitheoir is responsible at central level for the administration of the Acts relating to the registration of births, deaths and marriages.
I am informed by an tArd-Chláraitheoir that the regulations for Registrars of Marriage specifically require Registrars to obtain the authorisation of an tArd-Chláraitheoir where notice is served for the marriage of a divorced person before issuing a licence or certificate Registrars require the person serving notice to provide information regarding the parties to the previous marriage through the completion of standard inquiry forms and require them to provide copies of the relevant divorce decrees absolute. Registrars are obliged to forward such information to an tArd-Chláraitheoir so that he may determine, having regard either to the Rule of Law or the provisions of the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act, 1986 — depending on the date the divorce was granted — whether he should authorise the Registrar to issue a licence or certificate in respect of the proposed marriage.
Registrars of Roman Catholic marriages and Licensers of Marriages, in the case of other denominations, are required, similarly, to consult An tArd-Chláraitheoir to ensure that the marriages and proposed marriages are registerable.
