Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Harty for tabling this important question. As the Deputy will be aware, his colleague, Deputy Clare Daly, proposed a Private Members' Bill, entitled the Coroners Bill 2015, to address issues with regard to the investigation into maternal deaths. That Bill proposed to introduce mandatory reporting, post-mortem examinations and inquests into any maternal death. It also proposed the extension of the current scheme of legal aid to next of kin in respect of maternal death inquests.

The Government decided not to oppose that Bill on Second Stage. My predecessor subsequently met Deputy Clare Daly to discuss her concerns regarding the issue further.

Following that meeting, the Government approved the urgent drafting and publication of the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2017 to ensure that, as Deputy Harty stated, all relevant maternal deaths would be fully reported to and investigated by the coroner. The Bill will be based on the relevant sections of the Coroners Bill 2007, which completed Second Stage in the Seanad on 4 October 2007. The mandatory reporting, post mortem and inquest provisions of that Bill will be updated beyond maternal deaths to a wider listing of deaths to be reportable to a coroner. The 2017 Bill will also provide for legal aid for a family member at any inquest into a maternal death.

In order to address concerns previously raised by the Attorney General and others concerning the need to improve compliance with European Convention on Human Rights obligations in this area, I propose to address a limited number of other issues in the Bill so as to ensure that the coroner has sufficient and effective power to obtain relevant information in regard to maternal and other deaths. These powers were already included in the 2007 Bill.

Subject to the final advices of the Attorney General, I hope to be in a position to publish the new Bill early in the next session.

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