Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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237. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if an audit or examination is carried out in the public interest of fees claimed by coroners; by whom it is carried out; the number of times it is carried out; and if there is no audit or examination, the rationale behind not doing so. [54835/13]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of staff that work in the coronial offices of his Department in Navan, County Meath; and the total annual cost of running that office including rent, salaries and all other outgoings. [54836/13]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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239. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the way, basis and criteria on which acting coroners are appointed. [54837/13]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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240. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of acting coroners appointed here. [54838/13]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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241. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of coroners here that were appointed following a competition arranged by the Local Appointments Commission. [54839/13]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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242. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of coroners here at present. [54840/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 to 242, inclusive, together.

The Coroners Act 1962, as amended, makes provision for matters relating to coroners. There are currently 41 coroners who service 47 coroner jurisdictions. Some coroners cover two jurisdictions, normally within a county. Section 8 of the 1962 Act states that the coroner for a coroner's district shall be appointed by the local authority in whose area the district is situated. I understand that there are currently 16 coroners in the State who were appointed through the Local Appointments Commission process referred to in the 1962 Act. In addition, 25 coroners are engaged on an acting basis. Such coroners meet the critical current criteria for all coroners, that of being a lawyer or a doctor of more than five years professional experience.

This situation in regard to acting coroners has been in place since the Report of the Coroners Review Group in 2000 as a preliminary policy approach to the reform of the coroner system. The Coroners Bill 2007 which is before the Seanad, having been restored to the Order Paper, provides for a comprehensive reform of the law, practice and structures in regard to the coroner service. The Bill envisaged a move towards having full time coroners as opposed to the current part time model. The Bill is in the course of being reviewed in my Department and in that context all governance and administrative matters in relation to coroners will be examined to determine how reform can be achieved in a cost effective manner.

The 1962 Act, in section 13 (1), provides that each coroner shall appoint a deputy coroner. Such deputy coroner appointments must be approved by the relevant local authority and, following a statutory amendment in 2011, by the Minister for Justice and Equality. Under section 13(4)(a) of the Act a person appointed a deputy coroner may act for the coroner during the illness or absence of the coroner or where, for example, the office of coroner is vacant. A deputy coroner acting as coroner has all the duties and powers of a coroner. In addition a person who is appointed a deputy coroner must fulfil the requirements for appointment as a coroner.

With regard to financial payments to coroners, the position is that such payments are made by local authorities. In this context there are, of course, statutory arrangements in place for auditing the accounts of local authorities and they fall within the remit of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I have also been advised that currently there are two staff members serving in the Coroners' Service in Navan, Co Meath. In 2012 an overall expenditure of approximately €100,000 was incurred in respect of that office.