Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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428. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when a State pathologist will be appointed to Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22493/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Office of the State Pathologist (OSP) is an independent body under the aegis of the Department of Justice. The OSP provides the State with a national forensic pathology service where a forensic pathologist is on duty, twenty-four hours a day, each day of the year. Their primary remit is to perform post mortem examinations in suspicious deaths as directed by the respective coroner. Four forensic pathologists are based in Dublin with assistance on a rota basis from a forensic pathologist in Cork.

Post mortem examinations in non-suspicious deaths under the remit of the coroner, are directed to be performed by hospital-based histopathology consultants. The recruitment of hospital histopathology consultants is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE.