Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 118: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her Department has come to a decision regarding the births, deaths and marriages registrars; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that these registrars are extremely unhappy with same and are unwilling to continue providing these services under this structure (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39741/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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An tArd-Chláraitheoir, the Registrar General, is the person with statutory responsibility for the administration of the civil registration service. I have made inquiries with him and I am informed that the position is as follows. In the majority of registration offices around the country, the civil registration service is administered locally by registrars of births, deaths and marriages who are Health Service Executive, HSE, employees, employed on a substantive basis for this purpose. In addition to these employees, there are some 40 private registrars appointed under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Acts. The majority of these are private individuals who provide the service from private residences and private offices. Some private registrars are also HSE employees, such as community welfare officers and district medical officers, but they perform registration functions as an adjunct to their substantive appointments.

HSE staff employed as registrars on a substantive basis are remunerated by salary appropriate to their grade. Private registrars are remunerated, as applicable, by an annual allowance of €172.68 per designated registration district in respect of births, deaths and Catholic marriage registrations and by an allowance of €43.17 in respect of civil marriage registrations, giving a maximum total allowance of €215.85. A fee of €0.86 is paid per event registered. These payments are made by the HSE on foot of quarterly accounts submitted to and approved by the superintendent registrar. Private registrars retain the standard fees for issue of certificates of births, deaths and marriages — €10 per certificate; €8 per extra copy — that are paid by members of the public. These rates were last revised in 1987.

I understand that a number of private registrars, who are members of the IMPACT trade union, have expressed dissatisfaction with the current remuneration arrangements. My Department has received a letter from IMPACT seeking an increase in the fees payable to the members concerned and the matter has been referred to the HSE employer representative division. As this matter falls to be dealt with in an industrial relations context, it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this time.