To register a death, you must bring a Death Notification Form stating the cause of death to the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths most convenient to you. Deaths should be registered as soon as possible and no later than 3 months from the date of the death.

Once it has been verbally confirmed that the doctor is in a position to issue the Death Notification Form, arrangements for the funeral may proceed.

Death Notification Form

When a death takes place at home, in a hospital, hospice, nursing home or other institution, a registered , medical practitioner who attended the deceased  completes Part 1 of the Death Notification Form (Medical Certificate for the Cause of Death).

Part 2 of the form provides additional personal details of the deceased and is completed by the deceased’s civil partner or a close family relative, acting as a Qualified Informant. If such a person is not available, the registrar has a hierarchy of people who can act as a Qualified Informant.

If the deceased doctor did not see the deceased at least 28 days before the death occurred or if the doctor is unhappy about the cause of death, he/she must inform a Coroner who will decide if a post-mortem is necessary.
All sudden deaths, accidents etc., are by law subject to a Coroner Post Mortem.
In the case of a post mortem taking place, the Coroner issues a Coroner’s Certificate of the cause of death to the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths and the death is automatically registered.

The website of the HSE provides provides detailed information on Registering a Death, including  on who can act as a Qualified Informant.
Visit HSE.ie – Registering a Death

HSE.ie also provides the contact details of the Local Offices of Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths
Visit HSE.ie – Local Registrar Offices

Organ Donation

If the deceased was an organ donor, you must act quickly if you are their nearest relative.
For more information read the Citizens Information guide to Organ and Body Donation

Most families wait until several months or a year has passed after the funeral before erecting a headstone. Erecting a headstone is commonly seen as an important note of closure for many families.
You can erect a temporary gravemarker to allow you time to select a memorial of your choice.

We can advise and arrange for the erection of a new headstone or have additional inscriptions or renovations applied to an existing one.
In Ireland, all Cemeteries are either owned by a County Council or they are Parish run.
They all have their own rules and regulations for granting permission to erect a headstone. There are fees charged by the cemetery for this and they vary from place to place.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get financial assistance under one or more of the following:

Exceptional Needs Payment

Exceptional Needs Payment and Urgent Needs Payment are payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.
You may be eligible for an Exceptional Needs Payment to help you with the cost of a funeral if your income is low. Each case is decided on its merits by the Department of Social Protection’s representative (formerly known as the Community Welfare Officer) at your Local Health Centre.
Visit Welfare.ie – Exceptional Needs Payments

You should apply for funeral assistance before the funeral takes place, or as soon as possible afterwards. To apply for an Exceptional Needs Payment payment you will need to contact the Department of Social Protection’s Representative (formerly known as the Community Welfare Officer) at your local health centre.
View List of Local Health Centres administering Supplementary Welfare Allowance

Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant

The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant is a once-off payment to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners who have one or more dependent children living with them or a widow or surviving civil partner whose child is born within 10 months of the date of death of her spouse or civil partner.
Visit Welfare.ie – Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant for details on how to apply.

Occupational Injuries Scheme – Death Benefit

If a person dies because of an accident at work, an accident while travelling directly to or from work, or an occupational disease, Death Benefit (under the Occupational Injuries Scheme) may be paid to their surviving spouse or civil partner or dependent child.
Death Benefit may also be paid if, at the time of their death, the person was getting a Disablement Pension assessed at 50% or more, regardless of the cause of death.

The Death Benefit Scheme includes:

• Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension
• Guardian’s Payment
• Funeral Grant

Visit Welfare.ie – Death Benefit for details on rates and how to apply.

Credit Union Death Benefit Insurance

Death Benefit cover is offered as a rider (or endorsement) to the Life Savings Insurance Policy by participating Credit Unions.
You will need to talk to your local credit union about this insurance for application details.
Visit CreditUnion.ie – Death Benefits

Social Welfare

When a person in receipt of a Social Welfare payment dies payments will continue to be made for 6 weeks after the date of death to the deceased spouse/partner/carer provided they are a named dependent/carer . Contact your local Social Welfare Officer for more details.

At Tuohy Funeral Directors we recognise surviving family members and friends deal with a variety of issues and concerns after the death of a loved one. And we will assist you in anyway we can.
But sometimes you need specialist help. Grief counselling. Financial advice. Or just to talk with people outside of your family and community.
The following are a few of the organisations that are here to help and advise you, your family and friends in your time of need:

Irish Hospice Foundation

The Irish Hospice Foundation supports those facing death, dying and bereavement.
Bereaved.ie is an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation, providing advice and information for bereaved people, and those supporting them.
Visit Bereaved.ie

The Bereavement Counselling Service

The Bereavement Counselling Service is a registered charity offering support and counselling to enable people deal with their grief. The service is provided by a group of volunteers recruited and trained in the theory of grief and the counselling of bereaved individuals.
BereavementIreland.com provides guides, advice and suggested reading for adults and children,  along with contact details for their services.
Visit BereavementIreland.com

Barnardos

Barnardos provide a Children’s Bereavement Service for children and young people who have lost someone close to them.
Volunteers operate the Children’s Bereavement Service telephone service – call 01 473 2110 10am-12pm Monday to Thursday.
Visit Barnardos.ie – Children’s Bereavement Service