Garda Síochána Act, 1989

What is this act about?

This law amends and expands previous Garda Síochána Acts, primarily to allow members of the Garda Síochána to serve outside the State with international United Nations forces and to establish a system for registering births and deaths that occur during such service.

Who it applies to: Members of the Garda Síochána who volunteer for service outside the State with an International United Nations Force; The families of these Garda Síochána members, specifically regarding births and deaths occurring during their service abroad.

At a glance

Country: Ireland
Area of law: Other legislation
Articles: 5
Source: irishstatutebook.ie
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

The deployment of Garda Síochána contingents for service outside the State with an International United Nations Force.
The liability of certain Garda Síochána members for this external service.
The registration of deaths of Garda Síochána members, their spouses, or family members occurring outside the State during such service.
The registration of births of children of Garda Síochána members occurring outside the State during such service.

Who does this act apply to?

Members of the Garda Síochána who volunteer for service outside the State with an International United Nations Force.
The families of these Garda Síochána members, specifically regarding births and deaths occurring during their service abroad.

What are the key points?

The Government can decide to send a contingent of the Garda Síochána to serve outside the State with an International United Nations Force.
A member of the Garda Síochána can offer in writing to serve outside the State for a specified period, and if accepted by the Commissioner, they become liable for such service.
The Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Health, can make regulations for keeping records of certain births and deaths that occur outside the State while a Garda member is serving with an International United Nations Force.
An tArd-Chláraitheoir will maintain a Garda Síochána Deaths Register Book and a Garda Síochána Births Register Book for these records.

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Oireachtas (Miscellaneous Provisions) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act, 1996

British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999

Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1993

Radiological Protection (Amendment) Act 2018

Censorship of Films (Amendment) Act, 1925

Curragh of Kildare Act, 1961

Performers' Protection Act, 1968

Other legislation

Legal text

Contents (5)

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5

Garda Síochána Act, 1989 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1989 Garda Síochána Act, 1989 Garda Síochána Act, 1989 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 1 of 1989 GARDA SÍOCHÁNA ACT, 1989 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section

Section 1

Definitions.

Section 2

Despatch of contingents of Garda Síochána for service outside the State.

Section 3

Liability of certain members of Garda Síochána for service outside the State

Section 4

Registration of certain births and deaths occurring outside the State.

Section 5

Short title, collective citation and construction Acts Referred to Births and Deaths Registration Act (Ireland), 1880 43 & 44 Vic. c. 13 Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1863 to 1987 Number 1 of 1989 GARDA SÍOCHÁNA ACT, 1989 AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE GARDA SÍOCHÁNA ACTS, 1923 TO 1979. [26th February, 1989].

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

Definitions.

1.— In this Act— “the Acts” means the Garda Síochána Acts, 1923 to 1979; “International United Nations Force” means an international force or body established by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations for the performance of duties of a police character.

Despatch of contingents of Garda Síochána for service outside the State.

2.— (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Acts, a contingent of the Gards Síochána may, if the Government so determine, be despatched for service outside the State with an International United Nations Force.

(2)A contingent referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall consist of such number of members of the Garda Síochána, and the members shall hold such rank in the Garda Síochána, as the Government may determine.

Liability of certain members of Garda Síochána for service outside the State.

3.— (1) Where a member of the Garda Síochána has offered in writing to render himself liable for external service during a specified period and the Commissioner has accepted the offer, this section shall apply to that member during that period.

(2)Notwithstanding anything contained in the Acts, a member of the Garda Síochána to whom this section for the time being applies shall be liable to serve outside the State with a contingent of the Garda Síochána which is despatched for service with an International United Nations Force.

Registration of certain births and deaths occurring outside the State.

4.— (1) The Minister may by regulations, made with the consent of the Minister for Health, provide for the keeping of a record of— (a) the death of a member of the Garda Síochána. (b) the death of the spouse or any of such other members of the family of a member of the Garda Síochána as may be specified in the regulations, and (c) the birth of a child of a member of the Gards Síochána occurring outside the State while the member of the Garda Síochána is serving outside the State with an International United Nations Force and, as respects a death referred to in paragraph (b) of this subsection or a birth, in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations.

(2)Records kept pursuant to regulations made under this section shall be— (a) authenticated in such manner as may be specified in the regulations by such person as may be specified for that purpose in the regulations, and (b) transmitted to an tArd-Chláraitheoir in such manner as may be specified in the regulations.

(3)(a) An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall maintain a register to be known as the Garda Síochána Deaths Register Book (in this section referred to as the Deaths Book) and shall cause an entry to be made in the Deaths Book of each record of a death transmitted to him under this section. (b) An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall maintain a register to be known as the Garda Síochána Births Register Book (in this section referred to as the Births Book) and shall cause an entry to be made in the Births Book of each record of a birth transmitted to him under this section (c) An entry made under paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection shall be in such form as may be specified in the regulations under this section and shall contain such particulars as may be specified in those regulations. (d) The Deaths Book and the Births Book shall, for the purposes of the Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1863 to 1987, be deemed to be register books within the meaning of those Acts, but paragraph (3) of section 27 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Ireland), 1880, shall in its application to the Deaths Book and the Births Book have effect as if— (i) “upon payment of the appointed fee, and” were deleted, and (ii) the reference therein to a statutory declaration made by one or more persons required by that Act to give information concerning the birth or death referred to in that paragraph were a reference to a statement in writing made by a person specified under paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section.

(4)An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall keep at his office an index to the Deaths Book and an index to the Births Book; and persons shall be entitled to search the indices and to have a certified copy of an entry in the Deaths Book or the Births Book or of items contained in the entry on the same terms and conditions in all respects as to fees and otherwise as are applicable under the Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1863 to 1987 or any other enactment in respect of the registers of births and deaths; and such fees shall be collected and disposed of in the same manner as fees payable under the said recited Acts.

(5)Every regulation made under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next subsequent 21 days on which that House has sat after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

Short title collective citation and construction.

5.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Garda Síochána Act, 1989

(2)The Acts and this Act may be cited together as the Garda Síochána Acts, 1923 to 1989.

(3)The Acts and this Act shall be construed together as one.

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