Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 5

Written Answers. - Ministerial Powers.

Jim Higgins

Question:

189 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 3 of 7 March 2000, the reason gardaí called recently to interview the widow of a man who died at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, on 1 July 1992; the reason forms C71 and 104 were completed at the time of death; and the person responsible for completing the forms. [12269/00]

Jim Higgins

Question:

190 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 3 of 7 March 2000, he will meet with the widow of the person who died at St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, on 1 July 1992. [12270/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together.

I understand that the visit by the gardaí to the widow of the deceased arose in the context of a letter which she wrote to the Garda Commissioner in early February 2000.

Form C71 is completed by the gardaí at the time a death is reported to them and is used to notify that death to a coroner. Form 104 is a statistical return which does not involve the coroner and is made by the Garda directly to the Central Statistics Office when the outcome of a coroner's inquest is known.

The Coroners Act, 1962, provides that a death may be reported either directly to the coroner or indirectly through the Garda who, in turn, report the death to the coroner. In this particular case, notification of death was made directly by the hospital and the procedures involved in the Garda completing forms C71 and 104 did not, therefore, arise.

In relation to the request for a meeting with the widow of the deceased, I am agreeable to this, in principle, and my office will be in touch directly with the woman concerned.