Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Normally, births occur in a hospital or a home — these are easy to determine — but there are instances, such as that alluded to by Senator McCarthy, in which a child is born in transit between two places. In the main, the townland would be included as the place of birth in such cases. In the particular case to which Senator McCarthy referred, the townland was not known. If the townland becomes known, the birth certificate can be amended accordingly. I appreciate that the absence of a named place of birth on a birth certificate can cause difficulties in terms of qualifying to play for a football team, be it Ulster, Connacht, Cork or Kerry.