BIRTH REGISTRATIONS HAVE moved online after concerns were raised that 4,000 births may not yet be registered due to the ongoing pandemic. 

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty announced today that the General Register Office has put arrangements in place for parents to send in their birth registration forms by email or post.

Up to now, parents could only register the births of their children by visiting a General Register Office in person, a practice in place since 1864 when the first birth was registered.

The first baby to have his birth registered electronically today was Aaron Rafferty from Malahide, County Dublin. 

Minister Doherty is now urging any new parents who have not already registered their baby’s birth to consider using the new service which has been adopted by the Civil Registration Service.

“As many parents have consciously decided not to register the birth of their new arrival to their families during the pandemic because of the social distancing requirements, we estimate that there may be up to 4,000 births not yet registered,” said Doherty.  

This also means that payment of Child Benefit will not commence until the birth is registered. That is why my Department has worked to put an alternative channel into place so that all families can register their new-borns easily and avail of their child benefit entitlements. 

TJ Fleming, the Registrar General said the new process will be kept under review to ensure it meets people’s needs.

“The process is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible,” said Flemming.

More information can be found on the Department’s website here.