Solution urgently required as this is seriously impacting people’s ability to access Child Benefit, PPS numbers, passports and GP cards
It is now almost impossible to register a birth or a death in many areas of the country, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
“For weeks now, I have been highlighting the fact that it is nearly impossible to register births, deaths or marriages across the country. In some counties, there are no walk-in facilities, in civil registration offices, and no online alternative.
“I have spoken to people who have called offices up to 100 times before giving up. This is causing a huge amount of distress and anxiety – particularly when families are unable to register the birth of a new-born or the death of a loved one. It beggars belief that the government have yet to indicate when these backlogs and delays will be resolved.
“All we have heard to date are excuses, with the pandemic and the cyberattack on the HSE being blamed. But, this doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, especially when walk-in appointments and online facilities have not been made available.
“There now urgently needs to be a solution as this is seriously impacting people’s ability to access Child Benefit, PPS numbers, passports and GP cards, which can cause a huge amount of difficulty for people, especially when there is a negative financial consequence.
“As I understand it, the legislation to deal with online notification for births, deaths and marriages lapsed in September – an incredible oversight. In the Dáil today, I asked the Taoiseach to address this as a matter of urgency.
“The Taoiseach has acknowledged that this is an issue and said he will look into it. I will hold him to this commitment and will be seeking an update as quickly as possible. This is causing untold stress for families, which is completely unnecessary, and it must be dealt with before the situation gets any worse.”
23 November, 2021
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