Pictured is the first baby to have his birth registered online, Aaron Rafferty from Malahide, County Dublin with his parents Nuala and Paul
As we all adapt to the new normal following the arrival of the Covid19 in Ireland, how do parents who have welcomed a new baby into the world register their baby with so many services still in lockdown.
Before Covid19, parents would attend together their local civil registration office and register the birth and purchase the child’s new birth certificate.
Additionally when you registered your baby, you would automatically receive your child’s PPS Number by post, and child benefit would be arranged automatically for the parents by using the parents PPS numbers to arrange and ensure payments are made to the correct parents.
However, with Covid19 lockdown measures introduced in March and the closure to public visitors to the HSE’s Civil Registration Offices, the State and the HSE recognised the need to continue registering the birth of new-born babies that continued to be delivered in maternity wards up and down the Ireland.
To handle this matter, the state pushed through emergency legislation to allow parents to apply to register their baby’s birth by submitting an application form found online along with submitting documents confirming the identity of the applicants.
Details of new births are shared by hospitals to the computer system used nationally by the Civil Registration Service.
The government’s temporary legislation was introduced until 31 May 2020.
However, the Dept of Health and the HSE continue to wish to minimise face to face meetings – that are not medically related – Â with the public, and so now this legislation has been extended to 31 August 2020.
So, if you have had a baby lately-Â congratulations! – and below is the link to register your new-born baby: