Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The Senator is requesting the recording of the surnames of maternal grandfathers. The birth registration will include the personal public service number allocated to the child and the parents' personal public service numbers. The system has been designed to capture information in the event of a birth or stillbirth using standard naming conventions. These include one's forename and the surname in common usage across Departments and agencies. The combination of the date of birth and the mother's birth surname uniquely identifies a person in the vast majority of cases. The mother's birth surname is therefore vital in the validation of the personal public service number. As part of the registration process a personal public service number is allocated to the child, the parents' personal public service numbers are validated or traced, a relationship is created between the child and the parents and a claim for child benefit is automatically triggered to the Department. There is no requirement to collect the mother's father's or the father's father's birth surname from the registration or personal public service number validation perspective.

The Bill is drafted to provide that a birth may be registered by the parents, surviving parent or other specified qualified informant. Part 1 of the First Schedule allows for the assignment of a combination of both parents' surnames or either parent's surname to the child. The parents, or a parent if one is deceased or cannot be traced can, if they so wish, apply to assign a surname other than their own name or a combination of their names to the child.

It is not proposed to extend this provision to any person other than the parents. The Deputy is trying to circumvent some of the searches and insist on having grandparents' information on the birth certificate. That is not necessary because the PPS number will be established, as will a link between the child and the parents, as a consequence of the number being there.