Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce human rights-compliant amendments to inquest procedures in the form of a new Coroners Bill. [35575/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Coroners Bill 2007 is before the Seanad having been restored to the Order Paper on my initiative. The Bill is in the course of being reviewed in my Department with a view, among other matters, to making it as cost-effective as possible. The Bill, as published, provides for the comprehensive reform of the existing legislation and structures relating to coroners and provides for the establishment of a new Coroner Service.

The Bill incorporates many of the recommendations made by the Coroners Review Group in 2000 and the Coroners Rules Committee in 2003. It also has regard to developments since in terms of jurisprudence and to ongoing reform of coroner services in other common law jurisdictions. The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 provides for some early reforms in coronial matters, including an amalgamation of the Dublin County and City coronial districts.