Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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527. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for delays in the post-mortem system which are holding up the release of bodies to families for funerals in many cases to upwards of a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47891/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As I am sure the Deputy is aware, coroners are independent statutory officers exercising quasi-judicial functions, which neither I nor my Department have any role in.

Responsibility for the provision of pathology and histopathology services nationwide lies with the Health Service Executive or the individual hospital concerned.  Coroners throughout the country work closely with the hospitals and consultant pathologists at a local level to ensure that post mortems are carried out as directed and in as timely a manner as  possible.

However, to be of service to the Deputy, if she brings specific delays in the provision of post-mortem services to the attention of my Department, officials are available to make enquiries on her part.