Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
688. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to amend the legislation that results in the registration of babies that have died at birth being recorded privately rather than publicly; and if her attention has been drawn to the hurt caused to parents that do not have the option to record the birth of their child publicly and for the information of future generations. [21634/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is referring to the register of stillbirths, which, unlike other registers, is not open to public inspection.
At the time of establishment of the register, in 1994, it was considered that no public interest would be served by having the information on the register open to the public. Also, given the relatively small number of stillbirths each year, it was felt that an openly accessible register could be seen as encroaching on the privacy of the persons concerned.
However, with the passage of time, it may now be appropriate to look again at this matter. A number of bereaved parents have expressed an interest in making this information available to the public, as is the case with other registers. These parents want siblings, grandparents, relatives, friends and future generations to be able to have access to their entries in the register of stillbirths.
In examining this issue, I feel that it is important to continue to protect the interests of parents who may prefer to keep their personal information private, while also considering the requests of those parents who wish to make their own details more openly available. Any such action would require legislative change and I have asked my officials to explore the inherent issues further.
