Dr. Myra Cullinane:

One aspect of the statistics gathering process that has become apparent in the course of the hearing is the interchangeability of the terms used such as report, verdict and death certificate, not all of which are used accurately. Coroners are strongly of the opinion that the gathering of information based on the coroner's certificate is inadequate because there is no entry on the certificate for a verdict. It simply requires an indication of the medical cause of death which may not be helpful in establishing whether it was a death by suicide. Coroners have no role in regard to form 104 which is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

The Health Research Board study that has been compiled in recent years of deaths associated with drugs and alcohol provides a useful model. An analogous study focusing on deaths by suicide could yield very comprehensive and accurate information by looking at the totality of the coroner's file, not just the coroner's certificate or record of the verdict. I have explained the issues around the latter in that it may not always reach a standard whereby one could record a death by suicide. In looking at the totality of the file, one will identify factors such as whether there was, for instance, drug addiction, marital breakdown, homophobic bullying, cyberbullying and so on. All of this will be contained within the file. A formal analysis of coronial files every year, analogous to the HRB study, is something we would strongly support. There is a fund of information for analysis.

Deputy Dan Neville asked about the possibility of recording a verdict of suicide without the hearing of an inquest. My own experience is that a sensitively held inquest into a death that may have been caused by suicide can be a very cathartic experience for the family. It can serve to vindicate the life of the deceased, give an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts the family had made in life for the deceased and acknowledge the individual's pain. In addition, it provides an opportunity to answer some of the questions that may remain to be answered for the family. There is a great public utility in the holding of an inquest in such cases. I am aware that a Bill was published in 2007 which is being progressed through the Oireachtas. Coroners are engaging in that process.

Deputy Billy Kelleher asked why suicide deaths were under-reported. I agree with my colleague that we do not know whether they are, in fact, being under-reported. We need a proper analysis of the data in order to establish exactly what is the position on suicide deaths. I refer once again to the suggested HRB-type analysis which would capture all of the related factors the Deputy raised. These data will not be captured on the coroner's certificate or form 104 which, as I understand it, are the basis of all statistical analyses.

Senator Colm Burke asked about the time lag between the occurrence of a death and the hearing of an inquest. This can vary considerably, depending on the circumstances of the death and the complexity of the evidence required to be compiled by the coroner. One of the main causes of delay is where results of toxicology tests from the State laboratory are required, which can take between four and six months. Other issues which may delay the holding of an inquest include the making of arrangements for hearing rooms and court access, the notification of witnesses and general administrative issues. Coroners agree that once the information has been compiled and they are in a position to hold an inquest, it should not, for the sake of the family, be delayed unduly.

The Senator also referred to the death certificate. I assume he is referring to the coroner's certificate which is submitted to the registry of deaths and from which the information that will appear on the formal death certificate is extracted. Coroners have long been of the opinion that it would be of assistance to families if a short form was available, as is the case in the United Kingdom. The death would still be registered and include the full medical cause of death, the details of which we are obliged to set out fully. All of this information is essential for the statistical analysis and so on. However, there is nothing to preclude the introduction of a short form which would simply set out the fact of death, the name of the deceased and the date and place of death, without including the cause. We know it causes distress when people have to deal with a certificate which includes very personal information on a deceased parent or sibling, for example. We are very much in support of having a short form. This is not a matter for coroners or the Department of Justice and Equality but for the Department that governs civil registration.

Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked how coroners decided which witnesses would be heard at an inquest. Again, I preface my remarks by noting that I am not in a position to comment on the practice of any of my colleagues. In general terms, however, the inquest is an inquisitorial form and, therefore, different from other court proceedings. The coroner is the inquisitor carrying out the investigation and the witnesses are called at his or her discretion. By contrast, in other court proceedings the parties will bring their own witnesses. Coroners, in calling witnesses and deciding who is to give evidence, do so to establish the facts they are obliged to establish under statute and assist them in recording a verdict. The coroner is governed in all of this by the principles of fair procedure. If a properly interested party presenting before the coroner expresses a desire to hear from a particular witness, the coroner will give due consideration to that request.

The Deputy also asked whether coroners and coroners' staff received any counselling or other training to deal with members of the public who were distressed and bereaved. I can only speak for my own jurisdiction, but I have arranged informal training for my staff in this regard, which was kindly delivered by Professor Arensman and her staff. It is an important issue because we need to be able to deal with distressed individuals in a professional manner.