Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I respect the tone of the Minister of State's response. I commend him for being sympathetic to the family and showing empathy with them. Everybody in the House would send their good wishes to anybody in these circumstances. We hope time will help the Enright and Walsh families to heal their sense of loss. Nothing would be of more help in that process than if they were to be able to register the death of this child.

I have heard what the Minister of State is saying, just as the family heard the Tánaiste's response today. I am happy to accept the Minister of State's invitation to sit down and speak with him. Would he be prepared to consider this matter in advance of Report Stage next Wednesday? If so, I will withdraw these amendments and reintroduce them at that Stage.

The Minister of State has relied considerably on the correspondence and on the current statutory position under Part V. Obviously, I accept that he has to deal with the legislation as it stands. On a practical basis, what is the difference between a death in this situation and a stillbirth? I cannot see any substantive difference. We should be given a reason for treating an unfortunate death of this nature differently when it happens within the parameters of what is set out to govern stillbirths.

I appreciate I had not raised this issue with the Minister of State before we discussed it in the lobby before the start of this debate. I would like an opportunity to continue that conversation. I hope we can have that discussion before next Wednesday. I hope the Minister of State will be in a receptive mood and prepared to accept these amendments when we come back next Wednesday. I cannot see any ramifications or implications within the amendments, other than that they will benefit this family and other families when similar situations occur in the future.

We are talking about cases in which there is a coroner's certificate that clearly sets out the cause of death and the fact of the death. That is more or less what is required to register deaths anyway, even if it is in a slightly different format. There is a compelling case to be made - that is all. Would the Minister of State be prepared to have that discussion between now and next Wednesday, when we will debate this again on Report Stage? I hope the Minister of State's view on these amendments might change in the meantime.