James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials to the committee meeting today and thank them for the information they have been providing. First, I have a brief question. In 2020, an issue under the remit of the Department of Justice that came to my attention is funding for the coroner's court. I understand there has been some difficulty with the discharge of bodies, particularly in areas where there is high population. Outside of Dublin and other areas of the country this is the remit of the local authorities, but it is the remit of the Department of Justice as it pertains to Dublin. What measures has the Department been undertaking to deal with that issue in the context, of course, of it being a deeply personal issue for many people? In Ireland we have an important tradition where the death and funeral process is very swift in comparison to what might be the case in the United Kingdom where it takes weeks. It is quite important from a cultural standpoint. I will open with that question.