Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to bring forward legislation to ensure that fathers' names are mandatory on all birth certificates. [42929/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 was introduced in the Seanad in July 2014 and it has passed all stages in that House. It is currently progressing through the Dáil where Committee Stage was completed on 5 November 2014 and Report Stage is scheduled for 18 November 2014. It is intended that the Bill will be enacted before the end of the year.

The Bill provides that, other than in exceptional circumstances, it is the duty of both parents to provide their particulars when registering the birth of a child, regardless of whether they are married to each other or not. The aim of this provision is to enable the child to have access to their identity by knowing who their parents are.