Finance Minister John O'Dowd has welcomed the Assembly's approval of the Baby Loss Certificate Regulations today. The passing of this legislation establishes the essential legal framework required to issue baby loss certificates to anyone who has experienced a pregnancy loss prior to the end of the 24th week.

Operations are currently underway to ensure the Baby Loss Certificate Scheme is fully implemented and in place before the end of June. Speaking following the debate, John O'Dowd said: "For far too long those who have experienced a baby loss prior to the end of 24 weeks of pregnancy have been left without any formal recognition of their loss or validation of their grief.

"A baby loss certificate cannot take away the pain that parents feel following these losses, but it is my hope that by formally recognising their loss we will be able to provide them with some comfort.

"I would like to place on record my gratitude to all those who took the time to share their experiences with us and engaged with us. Their bravery in setting out just how deeply their loss impacts their lives, and their insights about how this scheme should look and work have helped us to design the Baby Loss Certificate scheme which meets their needs as fully as possible."