Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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847. To ask the Minister for Health when Parts 2 and 3, sections 20 to 23, inclusive, of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, will be commenced and resources provided to ensure these sections are fully operational on the ground; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36348/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Bill 2018 was enacted on 24 July 2018. This Act was introduced to correct typographical and technical errors in the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, which will facilitate the subsequent commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act. It is intended that Parts 2 & 3 of the Act will be commenced in the autumn of 2018.

Sections 20-23 of the Act of 2015 make provisions for retrospective declarations of parentage provided specific conditions are met. Once these conditions are satisfied the mother of the child and the intending parent may, jointly (in the District Court) or separately (in the Circuit Court), apply to the relevant Court to make a declaration under section 21 (District Court) or section 22 (Circuit Court) that the intending parent is a parent of the relevant child. Rules of Court to facilitate the operation of Part 2 of the Act have been approved by the Circuit Court Rules Committee and the District Court Rules Committee, respectively, for concurrence by the Minister for Justice and Equality on the commencement of that Part.