Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:761 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to licence civil marriages in venues other than registry offices. [21085/01]
Written Answers. - Civil Marriages.
My Department has responsibility for reviewing and modernising the legislation in relation to the registration of births, deaths and marriages. The existing legislation dates back to the 1840s and needs to be thoroughly examined and overhauled so that a more modern civil registration system can be put in place to meet current and future needs. This review is taking place in the context of a major project to reorganise and computerise the general register office. Following the review I intend to publish a new Bill on the registration of births, deaths and marriages, including divorce and nullity, to update the current body of legislation and facilitate the planned organisational change.
The current situation with regard to venues for marriage is that civil marriages may only take place in the office of the appropriate registrar. Exceptions to this rule are only allowed on grounds of ill health of one of the parties to the proposed marriage. In general, there are no civil law restrictions on the time or place of a Roman Catholic marriage except in the cases of marriage celebrated by special licence. Church of Ireland marriages must be celebrated in a church or chapel. There will remain other substantive issues relating to marriage which are outside the scope of this review of legislation but which must also be addressed. Accordingly, the Government has approved the establishment of an interdepartmental committee to agree an approach to the review of the legislation governing the registration of marriages and related issues. Any relevant proposals allowing civil marriages to take place in venues other that a registrar's office, a church or a chapel will be addressed by the committee which will be established shortly.