Serial murders like those by Harold Shipman could be repeated in Ireland unless the system for registering deaths is strengthened, the Dáil has been warned.
Independent TD for Wexford, Dr Liam Twomey, predicted a possible "angel of death" situation in Ireland, where somebody working in an institution could deliberately kill a number of patients, or where a relative could be murdered and the death registered as natural.
Harold Shipman, who murdered more than 200 of his patients in England before his activities were uncovered, "could get away with murder because he was able to move around".
Dr Twomey said a similar situation had not occurred in Ireland because of a "lack of movement within the population as well as good local knowledge, not only by GPs but also local officials. It is often the diligence of local officials that has rendered the records accurate rather than the strength of the legislation".
He said that "most people die in the community rather than in hospital and a death certificate is often signed by the local GP, who may know his patients well. But that is changing and locum doctors often sign these certificates. A murder by a relative could be missed and the certificate signed."
Dr Twomey feared legislation before the Dáil, the Civil Registration Bill, did not sufficiently highlight this. "Death registrations are important because of the implications of related criminal activity."
The Bill will revolutionise the registration of births, stillbirths, deaths, marriages and adoptions and revise the register for divorce and civil nullity. All such "life events" will now be electronically registered.
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, who introduced the Bill, said there would be substantial benefits including greater efficiency and reduction in red tape. Information about all births will automatically be transferred to the Minister's department and will allow for a personal public service number, equivalent to the RSI number, to be automatically created for each newborn child. Data will be shared with designated Government departments and agencies which the Minister said was a positive development, because it would mean parents "will automatically receive child benefit when a child is born".
Mr Dan Neville (FG, Limerick West) welcomed the sharing of information because it would now mean a single means test for all benefits.
Labour's spokesman Mr Willie Penrose said the Bill would discriminate against women because it would require a mother's marital status to be included on the birth certificate. There might be no problem about such information now, but "it may cause problems for somebody in that situation in future".
