77 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he will amend the Family Law Act, 1995, in view of difficulties created for persons (details supplied) in County Monaghan by an error in administering section 32(5) of the Act. [10341/97]

As already indicated by me to the Deputy in reply to Question No. 87 of 19 December 1996 concerning the notification of marriage provisions in the Family Law Act, 1995, the administration of the registration system for marriages is a matter for An tÁrd-Chláraitheoir (Registrar-General) of Births, Deaths and Marriages and for local registrars who act under his general direction. Since the Office of An tÁrd-Chláraitheoir is the responsibility of the Department of Health, questions in relation to particular cases before that office may be addressed to the Minister for Health.

However, in so far as the legislative provisions are concerned, the Government has approved the publication of a Bill to provide for retrospective validation of marriages where notification under the Act of 1995 was given to the wrong registrar of marriages.

The Bill will be published within the next few days.