Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 199: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in having a death certificate made available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [7345/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The administration of the civil registration system is statutorily a matter for an tArd-Chláraitheoir, the Registrar General, and for registrars of births, deaths and marriages who operate under his general direction. I have made inquiries of an tArd-Chláraitheoir and the position is set out below.

When a person dies, it is the duty of a relative of the deceased to act as qualified informant. This means that the relative must give to a registrar the information necessary to register the death, including a medical certificate of the cause of death, obtainable from the medical practitioner who attended the deceased within one month of the death, and sign the register of deaths.

In certain circumstances, a death is referred to the coroner. There is a legal responsibility on doctors, registrars, undertakers, gardaí, hospitals and nursing homes to inform the coroner where a death occurs suddenly or unexpectedly, or from a cause unknown, unclear or unnatural, or where the deceased was not seen or treated by a registered medical practitioner within one month prior to death.

In such cases, the coroner may request a post mortem examination. If the post mortem shows that a death was due to natural causes, the coroner may issue a certificate to the registrar, who can then proceed to register the death and issue a death certificate. If the post mortem shows that a death was due to unnatural causes, the coroner may cause an inquest to be held. In such cases, the registrar must await the outcome of the inquest and the issue by the coroner of a coroner's certificate, before registering the death.

An tArd-Chláraitheoir is not aware of any particular reason for the delay in issuing a death certificate in the case of the person concerned, details supplied, other than the death in question has not been registered as yet. A relative of the deceased should contact the nearest registrar of births, deaths and marriages as soon as possible in order to effect registration.