Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights have stressed the obligation of states to investigate unexplained deaths or those that occur in circumstances that involved official persons or authorities. The court has explicitly pointed out that the State's obligation can extend to deaths other than those which occur in hospitals to establish the cause of death and any liability on the part of healthcare professionals. It is clear that this legislation is required to ensure Ireland is compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.

More broadly, bereaved families and coroners have experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining basic information that should have been provided to them. The increased powers afforded to coroners by this Bill are welcomed. We support this Bill.