Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for a declaration of death in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who disappeared from the Rosslare to Pembroke ferry in September 1994; if such a declaration is expected to be made in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13936/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I can inform the Deputy that I have no authority to issue a declaration that a missing person is dead, nor do I have information on the status of any such application that may have been made to the Courts in this regard.

A provision does exist under section 23 of the Coroners Act, 1962 that, where a coroner has reason to believe that a death has occurred in or near his district in such circumstances that an inquest is appropriate but the body is either destroyed or irrecoverable, the Minister may direct that an inquest be held in relation to that death. As far as I am aware no such direction has been sought by a coroner and in the absence of further details I am unable to comment on what application if any this section would have in this case.