COUPLES WHO want to say “I do” in the northeast may be left saying “I would if I could”, after it emerged that no bookings are being taken for civil wedding ceremonies in counties Louth or Meath.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed that from June it will not have a registrar in Louth or Meath to perform the ceremonies, which have risen dramatically in popularity.
“The civil registration service in Meath and Louth is currently not in a position to accept further bookings for civil ceremonies from June 2010 onwards,” a spokeswoman confirmed.
The registrars, who are public servants, cannot be replaced because of the embargo on recruitment in the public service, although the HSE said couples could still make bookings in counties Cavan or Monaghan.
When bride-to-be Sandra McKeever rang her local registrars’ office in Drogheda, Co Louth, to inquire about booking her wedding, she was told there were only three days available between now and the end of June.
“I was also told that because the registrar would be away on leave during July and August that I couldn’t get married during the summer,” she said.
However, a date in May suited Ms McKeever and fiance Michael Reade. “I’m relieved that we managed to get a date for our wedding,” she said, “but can’t imagine how disappointing and distressing it must be for other couples trying to plan their special day.”
“This is just bureaucracy gone mad and it needs an urgent ‘yes’ from the Minister for Health,” said Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd.
The HSE said it was working to “ensure that replacement staff will be in place to provide this service prior to taking on any further bookings”.
Registrars in Cavan and Monaghan will be put under pressure as a result of the lack of registrars in Louth and Meath, according to Drogheda-based Labour councillor Ged Nash.
“It will come as no comfort whatsoever to a couple in Drogheda or in Bettystown to be told by the HSE that their marriage may be facilitated by registrars miles away in Cavan or Monaghan who are themselves now likely to be placed under enormous additional pressure as a consequence of the recruitment moratorium and its impact on the service in Louth and Meath,” he said.
Mr Nash added that the situation would cause “heartache for couples who wanted to get married this year, some of whom may have already forked out thousands of euro on planning a honeymoon, placing deposits on hotels and making arrangements for family and friends to participate in one of the most important days of their lives”.
The HSE said the vacancies were arising because one person was retiring and another was going on planned leave.
“Under the Government moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the public service, prior sanction is required to fill these posts,” it said. “Currently, this approval is being sought.”
Civil weddings are quickly becoming popular in Ireland and may overtake religious ceremonies by 2012, according to figures released recently by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The proportion of civil ceremonies has increased from just 6 per cent in 1996 to more than 23 per cent in 2006, according to the CSO. During the same period, the proportion of religious ceremonies decreased.
The HSE said couples in Louth and Meath could check back with it in March for an update on the situation.