Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 249: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedures a person (details supplied) in County Cork has to follow to obtain a birth certificate. [40375/05]

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 system. I have made inquiries with an tArd-Chláraitheoir and the position is as set out as follows. An tArd-Chláraitheoir maintains a national index of births in electronic format, which is available in the offices of registrars of births, deaths and marriages employed by the Civil Registration Service. Ideally, to search this index the applicant should know the date and place of birth, forename of the person concerned and the parents' names. However, it may be possible to locate the relevant entry if only some of these details are available.

Where it is established that a birth has not been previously registered, it is possible, under the provisions of the Civil Registration Act 2004, to effect registration, provided the particulars required by law to be registered are available. In cases where the parents or any other qualified informant with knowledge of the required particulars failed to register a birth within 12 months of the event, the consent of a superintendent registrar of births, deaths and marriages is required to effect registration. Where the parents are deceased or incapable or cannot be found and where no other qualified informant with knowledge of the required particulars can be found, an tArd-Chláraitheoir may cause the birth to be registered on production of adequate evidence of the details of the birth.

I understand that the minimum information required to be entered in the birth register is the forename or forenames and the surname, date and exact place of birth, the parents' names or at least the mother's name and the marital status of the parents. In relation to the birth referred to by the Deputy, it cannot be ascertained from the details supplied which registrar was approached concerning this matter and whether the person concerned had sufficient information to locate an entry in the register or had adequate knowledge of the required particulars to effect a registration. I suggest the person concerned contact an tArd-Chláraitheoir directly in writing and he will assist in any way possible concerning this matter.