Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

This is not an abstract policy issue; this is a human one. There are 700 cases every year. Every day that a family waits for a post mortem is a day they cannot hold a funeral, cannot begin the grieving process and cannot find closure. That is the reality that awaits hundreds of families across the south east if this service collapses on 1 January. Coroners, funeral directors and front-line responders still have no guidance. Families deserve reassurance that they will not be left waiting in deep distress for a service that is their right. I again ask the Minister, respectfully but firmly, to commit to guaranteeing that no family across the south east will face avoidable delays or uncertainty on the most difficult days of their lives. The people we represent in the south east deserve nothing less.

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