Civil registration certificates were yesterday doubled in price by the Republic’s Civil Registration Service (CRS), from ten euro to 20 euro. Genealogists were stunned by this 100% increase. In the current fiscal crisis, the Republic’s government is actively looking for any way it can to increase revenue and the production and supply of certificates was obviously seen as a soft target. The increase was sprung out of the blue, with absolutely no warning at all!

However, there is some good news. Through successful lobbying by CIGO, local registration offices have been informed by the CRS not to charge the public a two euro search fee in addition to the charge of four euro when supplying uncertified copies of register entries. The cost of these uncertified copies of register entries remains unchanged. CIGO had brought the overcharging issue to the attention of the Dublin local registration office and to the CRS on a number of occasions previously and is now thankful to see that this unwarranted charge has now been dispensed with. The waiving of this ‘charge’ has effectively reduced the price of uncertified (plain) copies by one third.