HSE denies staff freeze delaying marriage ceremonies

THE Health Service Executive has denied its recruitment ban is preventing Leinster couples from getting married away from traditional sites.

Last night it said it had only received its first completed application forms from couples in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow region in recent days.

These are from people who want to tie the knot in a location other than a church or civil register office. Under new laws first used last month, couples can apply to have other sites approved for a marriage ceremony. However, they first have to be inspected by the HSE.

A statement last night said the HSE began inspecting sites in the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare region yesterday morning after two couples applied for recognition last week.

“The HSE can only inspect potential premises once they have received applications from couples wishing to marry.

“To date, the HSE in these three counties has received two complete applications forms, (both received in recent days) and acting on these commenced the inspection process immediately,” it said.

The HSE was responding to claims made by Fine Gael deputy Alan Shatter about the delays highlighted to him.

Earlier, he said HSE staff had been responding to phone inquires by saying it would be at least July 2008 before it could free up staff to inspect potential sites for a ceremony.

Last night, he stood by his statement and said in the past week he had verified the situation by getting staff from his office to make inquiries about waiting times.

“I initially raised this because I knew somebody who wanted to get married in Wicklow and they were told it would be July before the site could be looked at. Then I had somebody from my office ring up and they were told the HSE could not do anything until well into next year,” said Mr Shatter.

He said he wants to establish why the HSE has been giving different information to people.

“I suspect something has happened on the strength of the parliamentary question I lodged last week because it is very coincidental things would start to move at this stage.

“You have to ask why it has taken a PQ to get things moving. I am expecting an answer to the PQ back either today or tomorrow and it will be interesting to see what will be the response,” said Mr Shatter.

The HSE denied there was anything unusual about its decision to begin inspections. A spokesman said it can only act on requests after formal applications have been made and the first of these from the Dublin/mid-Leinster region only arrived in “recent days”.