Northern Ireland

Birth, death and marriage registrations headed in Irish since rule change

It comes following a commitment in the New Decade New Approach deal to enable people to access public services in their chosen language.

Thousands of birth, death and marriage registrations in Northern Ireland have been headed in Irish or both Irish and English following a rule change
General view of the chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Parliament Buildings, Stormont as Northern Ireland’s MLAs prepare to elect a first minister and deputy first minister for the first time in two years. Picture date: Saturday February 3, 2024. Thousands of birth, death and marriage registrations in Northern Ireland have been headed in Irish or both Irish and English following a rule change (Liam McBurney/PA)
By Rebecca Black, PA

Thousands of birth, death and marriage registrations in Northern Ireland have been headed in Irish or both Irish and English following a rule change.

Last March it was announced that new registrations of births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths could be headed in Irish.

While a choice of headings are available in alternative languages, the registration process and the information required for the registration will still be conducted in English.

Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said since last March there have been 4,934 bilingual birth registrations and 92 Irish birth registrations
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers meeting Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said since last March there have been 4,934 bilingual birth registrations and 92 Irish birth registrations (Liam McBurney/PA)

It came following a commitment in the New Decade New Approach deal to enable people to access public services in their chosen language.

Then Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy said he wanted to see further stages moving towards the full registration process being able to be conducted in Irish in the future.

On Tuesday, during Assembly questions for her department, current Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said since last March there have been 4,934 bilingual birth registrations and 92 Irish birth registrations.

There have also been 1,164 bilingual death registrations and 25 Irish death registrations.

Meanwhile there have been 1,382 bilingual marriage or civil partnership registrations and 17 Irish registrations.

“These figures also include the re-registrations, and I expect as the changes to the system continue to bed in, this will increase over time,” Ms Archibald added.

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw asked whether the minister will introduce legislation to allow birth certificates published before last March to be translated into Irish by the General Register Office.

She said she has some constituents “who would be very keen to see their birth certificate in Irish”.

Ms Archibald said this would require “careful legal and technical consideration and appropriate resources”, adding “the department will consider how best to address these questions alongside other ambitions to progress the use of Irish in the registration services provided”.