Registration law leaves baby in limbo
A TWO-month old Drogheda child officially does not exist, thanks to a law that is preventing her parents from registering her.
'I just can't believe it. The latest I've been told is that I should try the Italian embassy!' the man, who does not wish to be identified, stated. 'I'm Irish, my wife is Irish, my daughter is Irish, what's the problem?'
The local man and his wife were married in Rome in 2002. They had their first child five years ago and there wasn't a problem getting her registered.
But when he went to register the newly born infant a few weeks ago he hit immediate red tape.
'I was told I couldn't register my child because we were married in Italy and it transpires we need an International Marriage Certificate. I'd never heard of it and hadn't a clue about where to go and get one.
'I can do nothing about the whole situation until I get this cert and it is very frustrating and confusing,' he added.
He has sought help from local organisations in a bid to see how he can sort out his dilemma but is now looking at the embassy as his best bet.
'I just wonder do people realise that this law is out there and has it impacted on many people? It will certainly hit them when they start a family if they get married abroad.'
Irish law requires the production of marriage certificates when registering new Irish births since 2004.
If you were married outside Ireland since 2004 you are required to produce a certified translation of the document of your marriage.
Fergus O'Dowd TD has been working on behalf of the family concerned.
' When my constituents were registering their daughter's birth in Drogheda in 2005 this requirement was not applied. This translation was required this year for the registration of their second child.
'No phone number or internet link for the registered translators was offered by the authorities to the family which has compounded the confusion,' he stated.
'I have asked the HSE to provide this information in their offices to help the public in this important matter,' he added.
In the meantime, he has supplied further details to the family and hopes their problem can be resolved quickly.
- Hubert MURPHY
