Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The section provides for the introduction of a new appeals system to enable persons to appeal decisions on the registration of events. It is both desirable and reasonable that an appeals mechanism be formally included in the Bill underpinning the central registration system as fair and open, addressing grievances in a timely, structured and impartial manner and confirming the principle of good customer service.

The functions of the registrar include the registration of births, stillbirths, marriages and deaths, and the correction of errors on the registers. In future the persons registering the event must be notified of the reason for a refusal by a registrar to register an event or to correct an error in an entry in the registers. An appeal may be made where a register fails or refuses to register an event, or where an tArd–Chláraitheoir or an authorised officer fails or refuses to correct an error in a register of births, stillbirths or deaths. The decision of an tArd–Chláraitheoir may be appealed to the High Court so there is adequate provision within the legislation to address the concerns of the appeal. The additional wording suggested in the amendment is unnecessary and would confuse the issue instead of clarifying it.