Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Finance if additional resources have been allocated to the State Laboratory to improve the turnaround time of analysis where deaths are to be the subject of an inquest; when such increased resources were allocated and the extent of the increase in allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15697/04]

Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by the State Laboratory that the effective number of staff in its human toxicology section has increased from ten to 13 in recent years. Two of these additional staff were sanctioned in January 2002 and were fully operational in 2003. The laboratory also allocated the equivalent of an extra post to the section by re-ordering its priorities internally.

Despite the increase in staff, there is still a backlog of cases which have been referred by coroners, due to an increase of 50% in the past two years in the number of such cases and a general increase in the complexity of the analyses required.

A range of measures are being taken at present to reduce the turnaround time of samples sent to the laboratory and processed by its toxicology section. Additional priority is to be given to the coroners' cases over other work of the section and laboratory management are also reviewing the procedures and processes in the toxicology area with a view to automating as much as possible.

I am told by the management of the laboratory that the completion of the relocation to Backweston will enable the enhancement of the quality of service provided to all its clients, including the coroner service.