Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is saying what happens when a father steps up to the plate and is there, although the couple might not be living together, and is putting his name on the birth certificate. It is at that point that the registrar will inform both parents that they can choose to avail of a declaration of guardianship. If that happens, then the cohabitancy rule does not apply because one has made a declaration at that point. If, for whatever reason, a father has not done so, then the cohabitants rule applies.

I assume that the Minister intends to hold a public information campaign. I presume there will be a visible poster for everyone to see when they go into the registry office, as well as that a person in the registry will be obliged to say to people when registering that they should be aware that a father does not have automatic guardianship and if they wish to have it, he can make a declaration there and then. The Minister has suggested that is way and that if a person has not done so at that point, this provision would kick in then.