The hospital does not register your baby.
You need to do this as soon as possible, no more than 3 months after the baby is born.
A birth certificate is needed for family allowance and other entitlements. Your baby will not be automatically added to your medical card as you will need the birth certificate.
To register you need to go to your nearest Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Ring ahead of time for an appointment. You can ask Public Health Nurse or Community Health Worker about this.
You can find a full list of Registrars around Ireland on our Places to Know pages.