Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, privacy. My main point is that the section arises from the Civil Registration Act 2004. The Minister will be aware that that Act was amended by the Civil Registration Act 2012. This legislation enables secular bodies to solemnise weddings legally. I recall that, at the time, Senator Bacik was involved in drafting it and the Bill was generally supported on all sides of this House. The Minister took, and got, a good deal of credit for it but the Act is not working. The Humanist Association has been in touch with me, and I am sure with others, to say that it received 600 enquiries in the first three months of this year about facilitating humanist ceremonies. The association is not able to meet the demand, however, because the General Register Office, which is to accredit people who solemnise these marriages, has so far only given one accreditation. Eleven applications have been in for months, yet only one has been given accreditation. I tabled a parliamentary question about this but it was brushed aside by the Department which said it was none of its business, but rather concerned the General Register Office. The Department of Social Protection is in charge of this, so it cannot ignore the matter by turning its back and walking away.

The latest we have been told is that there are people in the General Register Office who are worried about the notion of people making a profit out of this. If there is somebody in the General Register Office who is worried about this, they have no legal right to be worried about it. I have read and re-read the Act and there is nothing in it about being entitled to refuse people accreditation because they might get paid.

I suspect, and it has been represented to me, that there is some ideological objection in the General Register Office. Because they do not believe in the whole thing, they feel they are in a position to interfere with the democratic process to ensure a law passed, and supported on all sides of the Oireachtas, is not being implemented.

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