Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fáiltím roimh an deis labhairt ar an ábhar seo. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. As the previous speaker said, the Bill is one we have been anxious to see come to the House for some time. I have raised the issue on numerous occasions on the Order of Business and with the line Minister, in order to expedite the arrival of the Bill in the House, which I particularly welcome.

When I look back on my three and a half years as a national parliamentarian, without doubt one of my proudest achievements in that time is the contribution I made to the children’s referendum. The reason I say that in the context of this Bill is because the children’s referendum represented a huge milestone in terms of the change for a tiny minority of the population, namely, children in State care, relative to the number of children in care. Such children are very vulnerable and it is very important to take care of them. As a representative, if one finds it within one’s gift to do something to improve the lot of a tiny percentage of people then one’s time in the House will be made all the more worthwhile.

Likewise, I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution to the Bill today and to ensure its passage through the House. In the overall scheme of things a small number will be affected by it but it is none-the-less important. I speak in particular of the element of the Bill that relates to the registration of deaths abroad. The trauma, hurt and grief remains with the family, as is evident when one meets people who have lost a son or daughter. I think in particular of Colm Johnson from Bandon in west Cork, a 24-year old young man with his life ahead of him, who was killed tragically on 6 August 2012 while on a kayaking holiday. To add to the grief and trauma I can only imagine his Dad, Moss, his Mum, Ann, and his siblings are going through, is the fact that the State refused to recognise not alone their grief and trauma but that the death had occurred. They explained the hurt it caused to them. I speak for the many parents who have lost loved ones abroad. To lose a loved one in any circumstances is extraordinarily traumatic, but to lose somebody abroad brings added trauma, hurt and difficulty. As a State, we further compound the situation by hindering the resolution of issues that must be resolved, including the paperwork that must be done due to the State failing to recognise the death. I heartily welcome this long overdue development.

Ireland has changed and it continues to change. For young people the world has become a smaller place in the past 20 years. They travel to far-flung destinations for short periods, whether on an adventure, short work placement or holiday. That is the world we live in. It is time the State recognised that fact and put an end to any further injurious hurt we might cause to families by refusing to recognise officially the death of a loved one. The measure is to be welcomed. It cannot come soon enough.

The other aspects of the Bill mirror changes in society. I welcome in particular the registration of the father’s details on birth certificates. In a typical family it is not an issue but in an atypical one it can be a big issue for a person who wants to know his or her identity. The State cannot provide such details yet a person sitting beside one on the bus has all such details to hand. That is an injustice which must be corrected. We must be able to provide people with the information they seek and to tell them who they are.

Another element of the Bill relates to marriages of convenience. It is important for the State to be able to step in where a genuine and sincere conviction is held that a marriage is being undertaken where advantage is being taken of someone for immigration-related benefits. That is also a welcome development. I welcome the Bill and I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on it. I commend the Minister and the officials who have drafted the Bill. It is a welcome development for society as a whole, although the number who will benefit directly is limited.

See this speech in context