Coroners Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021

Thursday, 1 July 2021

Questions (338)

Pa Daly

Question:

338. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice her views on the matter of coroners charging families for reports on their deceased relatives. [35437/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

Coroners are independent quasi-judicial office holders located in districts around the country. Their statutory function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. This is an important public service in particular to next-of-kin and friends of the deceased.

Section 29 of the Coroners Act 1962 requires that certain documents relating to inquests, including reports of post-mortem examinations made in pursuance of the Act and every record of the verdict returned at an inquest, are preserved by coroners. The section also provides that a coroner shall provide a copy of any such document preserved by them, and that a coroner may charge for a copy such fee as may be prescribed.