Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two issues this morning. One relates to St. Patrick's Day. This is always a big day from an Irish point of view, with many Ministers travelling abroad, including to the United States. I wish to raise the issue of having a more structured approach with the US House of Representatives and Senate. When I served in the European Parliament, I had the privilege of serving on a joint committee of the European Parliament and the US Congress which met once every six months. I have discussed with Senator Lawless the need arising from the fact that the UK, an English speaking country, is leaving the European Union, how one of the biggest places outside of Europe to which we export is the United States and the need for a structured approach on how we will deal with the States.

Many Irish companies work in the United States and many State agencies sell Ireland there and they are doing a very good job. We should consider making direct contact with the US Senate and having a joint approach with it, even if it was only once every 12 months. The visit of the Canadian delegation to the House yesterday was extremely helpful and useful. There was an exchange of views. We should look at this further because we should not just focus on America around St. Patrick's Day. There is a far bigger issue now and we need to make that contact. We should explore the possibility of having a direct link with the US Senate. We should use the connection that is Senator Lawless to examine and develop this proposal further.

The second matter relates to my Commencement matter this morning about those who are available to perform marriage ceremonies on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently, registrars of births, deaths and marriages perform the ceremonies from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, but they are not available on Saturdays. I pulled the figures on registered solemnisers and found out that there are 5,630 religious solemnisers, 123 civil solemnisers and 31 secular solemnisers. That is not a proportionate representation in terms of the numbers of those who are available to preside over marriage ceremonies on Saturdays and Sundays.

My Commencement matter considered whether notaries public could be appointed to fill that role where registrars are not available. I want to explore this further because I believe we need to examine the issue. The Minister of State's reply was that there are no proposals at present to deal with this issue but we should be examining it and the current registration process. As I understand it, the Humanist Association of Ireland has 30 people registered and Aisling Árann Teoranta has one. They are secular solemnisers. There are also 123 civil solemnisers.