Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

The registrar said Athlone must be like Edenderry and Birr. They are lovely towns but they are certainly not like Athlone. Poor people tend to prefer to go into their own town to register deaths and they have been told they cannot do so from 5 November because the HSE has instituted this remarkable decision. While I have the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, captive in the House I ask her to attend to this as it should not be allowed to happen. I wish the Minister well in her endeavours and she may act puzzled if she so wishes but I phoned today and I was told that this would go ahead regardless of what I say before the House. I hope that common sense will prevail.

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