Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

The Bill states that a couple must attend in person at a registry office at least five days before the date of the intended marriage to declare that there is no known impediment to the marriage. I am not sure that having to do it within at least five days would be fair to Irish people living in America returning home to get married. As we know, in the United States, limited holiday time is available. If five days are used up before one comes home for a wedding, it does not leave much time to stay afterwards. I understand the Bill provides for the registrar to allow for less time. However, it needs to be clarified that this will not be the exception and that where people are travelling and not in the country it will be acceptable to attend the registry office one or two days beforehand to facilitate the marriage.

I welcome the single universal procedure for the notification and registration of marriage which makes matters clear. The approved form of the ceremony is also another clear provision. It is interesting to note how multi-cultural our society has become, as the Bill provides for the provision of an interpreter if required. We are moving into the 21st century and recognising that our society has changed. Those getting married now come from different backgrounds and communities. It is not just a case of going to church to stand in front of a priest. The registration of divorce and the annulment of marriages is also catered for in the Bill which again reflects the changes from the 19th century to the 21st century.

Other important and welcome provisions are the introduction of the new formal appeals system, the searches of the registers on the payment of a fee, the specific arrangements for the searching of the register of stillbirths — which needs to be handled diplomatically — and the arrangement for correction of entries in the register which will cut the bureaucratic red tape when mistakes are made. One provision, above and beyond the legislation itself, is the aim of a better customer service. This will be achieved through extended opening hours, better accessibility of services, the reduction of red tape and the once-off electronic capture and transmission of data which saves time. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs said it was about life-centred services to the customer. I congratulate her on this approach to the Bill. I also congratulate the people involved in drafting this detailed legislation. I commend the Bill to the House.