Registering the birth
The registration of the birth is carried out based on information provided by a qualified informant who is required to attend at the office of the Registrar to sign the Register of Births. The mother and father of the child are the main qualified informants and, where possible, must attend personally for the registration of the birth. They must bring photo identification, for example a passport or driving licence, and their Personal Public Service Numbers (PPS Number). In some cases, for example where a mother has been married previously, additional material may be required and they are advised to contact the Civil Registration Service to find out more.
If the parents are in a recognised marriage only one parent need attend, however, if both wish to sign the register they should both attend. If the parents were married in another country, they should bring the original marriage certificate and a translation if required.
Information recorded
The following information is recorded in the Register of Births:
- Surname of the child. The surname registered must be the surname of the father or mother or both. If you want your child to have a surname other than the surname of the father or mother or both, then an application must be made to the Registrar General or a Superintendent Registrar in writing.
Unmarried Parents
There are different options for registration, including the father's details, where the mother and father are not married. (The forms used are available from the Registrar's office.) The options are as follows:
- Both the mother and father can jointly request the registration (Form CRA 9). Both attend the Registrar's office together and sign the register jointly.
- The mother can complete a declaration form naming the father (Form CRA 1) and bring it, along with a declaration by the baby's father acknowledging that he is the father of the child (Form CRA 3). The mother signs the register.
- The father may complete a declaration form acknowledging that he is the father of the child (Form CRA 2) , and may go to the Registrar's office himself, bringing with him a declaration by the mother naming the father (Form CRA 4). The father signs the register.
- The mother or father may make a written request (Form CRA 5 and Form CRA 6 respectively) on production of a certified copy of a court order which names the person to be registered as the father. The parent making the request will be required to attend at the office of the Registrar to sign the Register of Births.
It is also possible to enter the father's details if the mother is or was married to someone else. As well as a sworn declaration from the father stating he is the father, one of the following is required:
- A sworn declaration by the mother's husband stating he is not the father, or
- A sworn delaration by the mother stating she has been living apart from her husband for more than 10 months before the birth of the child and a deed of separation/decree of divorce (not all foreign divorces are recognised under Irish law), or
- A certified copy of a court order which names the person to be registered as the father
A leaflet on Birth Registration of Children (pdf) is available on Treoir's website.