Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reason a register is of such great importance is that this particular type of statutory declaration vests responsibilities of guardianship and is not only a statutory declaration of fact. Property vests title, ownership and the responsibilities and obligations of owning property. The Land Registry was needed because otherwise we would be left with the mess of human business intercourse. In this case, a register is important because it relates to the interests of the child as a result of the guardianship, which is the safety packaging of this responsibility. Statutory declarations should be registered in order that no one is left in any doubt, whether their motives are innocent or, as Deputy Mac Lochlainn stated, mischievous. The statutory declaration needs to be registered at the time it is being made. It is essential that it is done and it would not be a big deal to do so.

See this speech in context