Executive Liaison Officers' Report 2003

The last year has been one of much action in relation to civil registration. Following on from the Republic's civil registration review, launched in May 2001, the Civil Registration Bill 2003 was finally published at the beginning of July. Surprisingly, some of the issues we thought might be included in the Bill were not and in this particular regard I refer to the current trend across Europe to deny citizens access to certain pieces of information recorded in entries of birth, death and marriage. Usually, this tends to be references to addresses and occupations. However, the fact that such measures are not included in the Bill does not suggest that they might not be brought forward at some future date.

Although there had been no reason to believe that the Bill might have included measures to allow easier access (possibly through archives or libraries) to civil records compiled one hundred or more years ago, it was nonetheless disheartening to see that there was nothing in the Bill at all which recognised that current practice in this area is many years out of date. In fact, it should of course be remembered that in recent times some researchers have discovered that the GRO believes that its older records might in future be a source of great income!

One cannot help but look at the situation in England & Wales without betraying some envy. For nearly twenty years now it has been possible for any private or commercial institution or individual to purchase in part or in whole copies in microform of the index to births deaths and marriages from the time they were first compiled in 1837, right up to date. The UK Office for National Statistics has also allowed the reproducing of the English & Welsh GRO indexes on the Internet and at this stage for the period 1837 to 1900 68,528,050 have been entered on to a database. This figure represents approximately half of all the events registered in that period. The website where this database can be found is at here.

Although CIGO does intend to lobby for changes to the new Bill, at this present time we have concentrated on the issue of improving the information recorded in future Irish death registrations. In this regard we have has a measure of success. Since the passing of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act last year (when the Minister for Social Welfare refused to amend that Bill to include a deceased person's place of birth and the maiden surname of married, widowed or divorced women) and subsequent to our lobbying and letter campaign in The Irish Times last year, the new Bill includes provision to register the 'surname at birth of a deceased person if different at the time of death'. However, the issue of recording the place of birth is still to be resolved and although it is not mentioned in the Bill, it is still hoped that it will be taken up by the Department at any of the Bill's various Oireachtas stages. Included in the latest edition of CIGO NEWS is a copy of a recently compiled submission on this issue. A few days ago I met with the Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform, Mr. Michael McDowell, who having listened to the arguments agreed to contact Mary Coughlin, Minister for Social & Family Affairs, in support of our proposal.

With regard to establishing greater access to the Republic's civil registration records (compiled one hundred or more years ago) I can inform you that CIGO is currently obtaining a legal opinion as to how this might possibly to be obtained. We hope to move further on this during the coming year and will keep you informed through CIGO NEWS .

This year saw a further period of consultation about proposed changes to civil registration procedures and access to records in England & Wales. Also, we saw the beginning of such a consultation process for Northern Ireland too. Again, in the latest edition of CIGO NEWS you will find a copy of the submissions made by CIGO. In both England & Wales and in Northern Ireland the registration authorities are intent on closing access to details relating to occupations and addresses and causes of death entered on records compiled less than one hundred years ago. However, it is not yet certain that these measures will be adopted in the long run as policing and financing such a policy will likely prove to be both difficult and controversial.

On a happier note, CIGO is very pleased to see that through its dealings with the Church of Latter Day Saints it has been possible for the Gilbert Library to take possession of microfilm copies of the Irish civil registration indexes to births, deaths and marriages for the period 1845 to 1921. These microfilms can now be seen at the Gilbert Library during normal working hours free of charge. In the coming year CIGO hopes to make contact with other main libraries throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic in order to encourage their participation the LDS family history libraries scheme.

Finally, as an APGI representative on CIGO I am also pleased to advise that APGI now provides a similar genealogy advisory service at the National Archives to that which my colleagues already provide at the National Library. Both services are available to the public free of charge and operate between 10am and 5pm Monday to Friday. The service in the National Library is also available on Saturday mornings, until 1pm.