The Government has approved the publication of a bill that will modernise the way births and deaths are registered in Ireland.

The proposals also include changes aimed at supporting families who have experienced a stillbirth.

Under the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024, families will be able to register the birth or death of a loved one online for the first time.

The changes will also allow an interim death certificate to be issued to families in cases where a coroner’s inquest has not been concluded.

Consultation

The Department of Social Protection said that the proposals on stillbirths had been developed after consultation with parents and advocacy groups.

The changes are designed to increase access to the Register of Stillbirths, while still respecting the privacy of their families and loved ones.

An optional public Record of Stillbirths, which will be publicly available, will be established for those who wish to avail of it.

These changes will be available retrospectively in cases where families have suffered a stillbirth in the past.

The criteria for a stillborn baby will be reduced to reflect advances in clinical care.

‘Greater flexibility’

“These reforms are about giving people greater flexibility when it comes to registering major life events and are designed to bring Ireland in line with the practices in place in other countries,” said Minister Heather Humphreys.

She added that the current system had been introduced in 1864, and now was the time for it to be modernised to make life easier for people.

The new online registration service will be available to people who have a Public Services Card issued by the Department of Social Protection and a verified MyGovID account. It will operate in parallel with the existing in-person civil registration service provided by the HSE.

Deaths

Currently deaths in the State are notified manually to the next-of-kin, who then has up to three months to register the death. If the death is not registered, there is no official notification to the State that the death has occurred.

Under the provisions of the bill, deaths will be electronically notified to the General Register Office within five working days from the date of death. The next-of-kin will be then notified of their duty to register the death within 28 days, using the existing in-person service or the new online facility.

The bill has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and the Islands.