NAFD secures extension of remote death registration in Northern Ireland

Following a campaign by the NAFD, in September the Northern Ireland Executive and Belfast City Council agreed to extend some of the emergency measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic around the electronic transfer of documentation.

In a letter and subsequent media activity across BBC outlets, the Association highlighted to Government Ministers the problems that removal of remote death registration and electronic submission of paperwork would cause funeral directors, leading to a review and announcement of a Statutory Rule to extend provisions made in the Coronavirus Act 2020 by a further six months, until 24 March 2023. In a letter to the NAFD, Finance Minister Conor Murphy said he would be seeking to make them permanent via legislation when the Assembly begins sitting again.