Mr. Liam Daly:

The Act sets out the required particulars that are to be provided when somebody registers a death. These basically include the type of information we capture, including the name of the deceased and other information regarding, say, the deceased's parents, occupation and civil status. Mr. O'Loughlin may correct me if I am wrong in any respect. All deaths that occur within the State have to be recorded. From their constituency dealings, Deputies will have had encountered cases of people who died abroad. The death registration process has to be completed abroad. We have in the General Register Office a record of deaths abroad we maintain, as opposed to a register.

As part of the improved reporting of deaths, through the notification process whereby we will be informed by hospitals or GPs, we will be getting more precise medical codes as to reasons, including underlying issues. That will help with the reporting of public health issues, helping the likes of the Central Statistics Office, CSO, to determine emerging trends.