Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I sincerely welcome the Minister's acceptance of the proposal from the Labour Party. It is a step in the right direction, but as we all know, there is a body of legislation that needs to be dramatically reviewed in order to bring the coroner service into the 21st century. This move has arisen from a couple of cases, with which some of us are familiar. I found an apt quote from a group called Victim's Voice, describing the difficulty facing those who find themselves in the Coroner's Court. The view of Victim's Voice in England is that the bereaved are precipitated into a devastating situation and have to deal with agencies and procedures unknown to them and from which they feel totally excluded. That is certainly the message I have received from anyone who has found himself or herself facing the devastation of grief following a bereavement, as well as the angst-ridden bureaucratic difficulties of dealing with the coroner.

Two years ago a comprehensive report was produced in the United Kingdom which made widespread recommendations, with which I am sure the Minister and his staff are familiar. I wish to touch on a couple of the issues identified in that report. There was evidence that the coroner service was not identifying some suicides, drug-related deaths and deaths to which adverse reactions to prescribed drugs may have contributed. There was also a view that there was inadequate collation of data, including examining historical data and trends and number-crunching during the years. As it is crucial to examine such information in any fundamental review of the legislation, I am sure the Minister is considering these matters in his draft legislation.

The view in the United Kingdom was that the arrangements at inquests fell far below modern judicial standards of openness, fairness and predictability. That is what the European Union is saying to us, but it is also the message coming from across the water. A point that will become increasingly important in the years to come is that there is no reliable or systematic response to minority community wishes, traditions or religious beliefs. That issue has already arisen on this island.

There is a lack of resources for coroners, including administrative or secretarial support. Much more needs to be done in that regard. There are no agreed objectives or priorities and no mechanisms to encourage the system to adapt to the changing times. All these aspects need to be considered, although we must also deal with the here and now of getting people to appear at inquests. I hope we will examine far-reaching reforms of the coroner service, as well as dealing with its curiosities, for example, in having responsibility for treasure trove, with which I was not familiar before now.

I welcome the Bill. Having heard the Minister talk about the Government amendments, they are relatively sensible for the most part. I wish to lend the Bill my party's support.

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