Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo a ardú. I would like to convey the apologies of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, who regrets she cannot be here for this matter due to another commitment. On behalf of the Minister, I would like to thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this important matter. As he said, it is very distressing for families to deal with the loss of a loved one without having to deal with something like this too. It certainly does not help with the grieving process for families.

The coroner service comprises a network of coroners located in districts throughout the country. Coroners are independent quasi-judicial office holders whose core function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. This is an important public service to the living and in particular to the next of kin and friends of the deceased. Coroners not only provide closure for those who are bereaved, but also perform a wider public service by identifying matters of public health and safety concern. While the Department of Justice does not have a role in directing the work of the coroner and cannot comment on individual cases, it does actively support coroners in carrying out their statutory functions.

The Department is aware of the increased pressure of work being experienced by all coroners due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has to be said that Dublin is the busiest coronial district and specifically in regard to the situation in the district, the Department has appointed three coroners to the district at the request of the senior Dublin coroner. It is understood that the Dublin coroner and her team are working to facilitate inquests and work through backlogs.

The direction of a post mortem examination, as provided for in legislation, is solely a matter for the coroner concerned and the Minister for Justice has no function in this regard.

The coroner concerned will normally arrange the post-mortem examination as expeditiously as possible. Depending on the circumstances of the death, a post-mortem examination will be carried out by a pathologist or, in forensic cases, by the Office of the State Pathologist. Responsibility for the provision of non-forensic pathology services lies with the Health Service Executive or the individual hospital concerned. Coroners will endeavour to have post-mortem examinations completed as soon as is possible and practicable to ensure timely release of remains to the next-of-kin of the deceased.

The Deputy has described a case where families are being told they are 18th or 19th on a list. It is an issue that needs to be addressed. We need to speed up that process for families. It should happen in a timely manner. The issues raised by the Deputy need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

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