AQO 237/22-27 Oral question to the Minister of Finance
To ask the Minister of Finance whether she will introduce legislation to allow for birth certificates, published before 11 March 2022, to be translated into Irish by the General Register Office.
Asked by Paula Bradshaw MLA on 14 March 2024
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 14 March 2024
- Answer due by
- 9 April 2024
- Answered
- 9 April 202426 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 9 April 2024. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Dr Archibald
Work on the commitment in the 'New Decade, New Approach' document focused on how future registrations might be made in Irish. Providing retrospective certificates in Irish would require careful legal and technical consideration and appropriate resources. The Department will consider how best to address those questions alongside its other ambitions to progress the use of Irish in the registration services that it provides.
Ms Bradshaw
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. The question was off the back of your response to a question for written answer, and I appreciate the extra information that you have given me today, but have we costed that work, and is there a timescale? Some of my constituents are very keen to see their birth certificates in Irish.
Dr Archibald
The Department continues to work on the roll-out of registrations in Irish. I recently met Conradh na Gaeilge to discuss our commitments in respect of the Irish language. Work is ongoing on how we can meet the commitments that we have made and on looking at some of the other issues.
Mr McGlone
San am i láthair, tá muid in áit iontach aisteach, ina dtig leat teastas breithe a fháil as Gaeilge, deimhniú báis a fháil as Gaeilge, ach ní thig leat uacht a dhéanamh as Gaeilge ach an oiread.
What steps will be taken to provide that service?
Dr Archibald
The Department of Finance does not hold legislative authority for wills. I am engaging with my Executive colleagues to ensure that the New Decade, New Approach commitment is appropriately led and taken forward, and I have written to the Justice Minister to ask the Department of Justice, working with its agencies, such as the Courts and Tribunals Service, to take responsibility for progressing that issue, which relates to the repeal of the Administration of Justice Act and to the matter of wills and probate, which falls under its remit.
Mr Sheehan
How many registrations in Irish under the new legislation are re-registrations?
Dr Archibald
Since the option for births, marriages and deaths to be registered with a choice of Irish, bilingual or English certificate headings was introduced on 11 March 2022, there have been 4,934 bilingual and 92 Irish birth registrations; 1,164 bilingual and 25 Irish death registrations; and 1,382 bilingual and 17 Irish marriage or civil partnership registrations. Those figures include re-registrations. I expect that, as the changes to the system continue to bed in, they will increase over time.