Written answers

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Death Certificates

5:00 pm

Photo of M J NolanM J Nolan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a death certificate will be issued for a person (details supplied). [17389/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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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 of births, deaths and marriages the information necessary to register the death, including a medical certificate of the cause of death, which is obtainable from the medical practitioner who attended the deceased, 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, Gardai, 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 the death can be registered.

An tArd Chláraitheoir (Registrar General), who has statutory responsibility for the civil registration system, 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 that 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.

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