Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views, in view of the importance for genealogical research of civil records, on requiring civil registration of death records to record the date of birth of the deceased person as opposed to the person's age, and to ensure that in the case of women, the maiden name is recorded in the same way that is required on a marriage certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25900/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The particulars required to be registered in an entry contained in the register of deaths are set out in Part 5 of the First Schedule to the Civil Registration Act, 2004. Under the Schedule, the date of birth or the age on the last birthday of the deceased is a required particular, following the commencement of the Act in 2005, registrars were advised by the Registrar General that best practice requires that the date of birth of the deceased is to be entered in the register where it is known to the qualified informant or where it can be established. Where the date of birth is not known or cannot be established, the age or approximate age at death is entered in the register. The birth surname of the deceased, (otherwise known as a maiden name, in the case of women), is a required particular and is entered in the register in all cases where it is known to the qualified informant.

Under section 37 of the Civil Registration Act, it is the duty of a relative of a deceased person, who has knowledge of the required particulars in relation to the death and within 3 months of the death, to give to a registrar the particulars required to register the death. Prior to the commencement of this provision, the majority of deaths were registered on foot of particulars provided by registered medical practitioners, hospitals or nursing homes and the requirement that registration is now effected by a relative where possible has enhanced to amount and accuracy of the information contained in deaths entries. However, there are and will continue to be circumstances where no relative of the deceased with knowledge of the required particulars and who is capable of acting as qualified informant can be found. There will also be circumstances where many of the required particulars are not known to a qualified informant or cannot be established. In such circumstances, the registrar has no choice but to proceed with registration with the information to hand.