Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am not in a position to accept these two amendments because I believe what the Senator seeks is already covered in the Bill in both circumstances. I will set out the reason I believe that is the case.

Amendment No. 31 proposes that the circumstances and causes of death are considered in post-recovery analysis and that these are noted in the director's report to the Government. This is provided for in the Bill already. Section 10 outlines the general functions of the director and section 10(b)(iii) specifies the requirement to arrange for the post-recovery analysis. Section 35(2) places an obligation on the director to carry out the process of post-recovery analysis and provides that this includes establishing, if possible, the circumstances and cause of death. The section further provides that the director's report must document the outcome of the activities undertaken as part of post-recovery analysis, which includes establishing the circumstances and causes of death, where possible.

Amendment No. 41 proposes that a report on forensic examination and recovery and post-recovery analysis be prepared following the expiration of the period of operation of the office of director of authorised intervention, which will include the performance of functions by the coroner. As I outlined, section 35 already provides for a director to prepare a report following post-recovery analysis and this report must document the circumstances of the discovery of the human remains, the forensic excavation recovery and the outcome of the activities carried out during post-recovery analysis. A report on the functions carried out under Part 2 is therefore already provided for, and there is a requirement that this report be published and publicly available.