To ask the Minister of Finance what provision exists for the translation of birth certificates into the Irish language; and for his assessment of the awareness of this provision.

The Marriage, Civil Partnership and Civil Registration (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2022 which came into operation on 11 March 2022 enables a person registering a birth to select the language for the registration in either English, Irish or Bi-lingual English & Irish. This enables the headings on the birth certificate to be produced in the language selected, with the content, the details regarding the birth, in English. Once the selection is made all future birth certificates are produced in the language selected at the time of registration.

The NI Direct website provides details of the options available and the parents are given the option to select the language when they are completing the registration of birth form (GRO 4) prior to the registration of the birth. Registration staff, based in local district council offices, make all informants registering a birth aware of the language choice as this must be selected before the registration can proceed.