Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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253. To ask the Minister for Health when it will be possible for the name of a civil partner of a mother to be included on the birth certificate as co-parent following the passing of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11643/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Officials in my Department are undertaking the work necessary to facilitate the commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015. A small number of technical and legal issues have arisen which require clarification, and it is important that these are resolved before Parts 2 & 3 of the Act are commenced. I hope to be in a position to lay the Regulations before the Houses of the Oireachtas as early as possible in 2018.

With specific regard to the inclusion of the second parent on a birth certificate, Part 9 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 provides for a number of amendments to the Civil Registration Act 2004 including the re-registration of the birth of a donor-conceived child on foot of a court order obtained under sections 21 and 22 of the 2015 Act. Commencement of Part 9 is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality after consultation with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. No provision of Part 9 has yet been commenced. Some sections cannot be commenced until Parts 2 and 3 of the 2015 Act are brought into operation. Other sections are dependent on provisions of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 being commenced. I understand that the Department of Justice and Equality is liaising with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in relation to scheduling the commencement of these sections.