Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1935

The foreign births entry book.

24.—(1) The Minister for External Affairs shall cause to be kept in every legation and every consulate a book to be called and known and in this Act referred to as the foreign births entry book.

(2) The birth in any country outside Saorstát Eireann of a child whose father is, on the day of such birth, a citizen of Saorstát Eireann shall be registrable, in accordance with regulations made under this section, in the foreign births entry book kept in the legation (if any) or any consulate (if any) in such country.

(3) From time to time, but not less than once in every year, there shall be transmitted, in accordance with regulations made under this section, from every legation and every consulate to the Minister for External Affairs a copy of every entry (if any) made in the foreign births entry book kept in such legation or consulate of which a copy was not previously so transmitted to the said Minister.

(4) Every document which purports to be a copy of an entry in a foreign births entry book and to be duly authenticated in accordance with regulations made under this section shall be admitted in evidence in every court of justice without proof of the seal or signature by which such document purports to be so authenticated or of the authority of the person by whom such seal was affixed or such signature was made and, until the contrary is proved, shall be deemed to be a true copy of such entry and be accepted as good and sufficient proof of the fact and terms of such entry.

(5) The Minister for External Affairs may by order make regulations in respect of all or any of the following matters, that is to say:—

(a) the form of the foreign births entry book and the officer by whom and the manner generally in which such book is to be kept;

(b) the persons by whom and the manner in which births may be registered in a foreign births entry book;

(c) the particulars to be entered in the foreign births entry book in respect of every birth registered therein;

(d) the inspection of foreign births entry books by members of the public;

(e) the furnishing to members of the public of copies of entries in foreign births entry books and the authentication of such copies;

(f) the transmission in pursuance of this section of copies of entries in the foreign births entry book to the Minister for External Affairs;

(g) with the consent of the Minister for Finance, the fees (if any) to be charged for the registration of births in a foreign births entry book, for the inspection of entries in such book, and for copies of entries in such book.