Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
313. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice if he will take appropriate measures to deal with delays in the Dublin coroner’s office in undertaking post-mortems which can cause unnecessary distress for bereaved families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20000/23]
View answerI am acutely conscious that any delay in the carrying out of coroner-directed post-mortems can be upsetting for bereaved families and loved ones.
The Coroner Service provides a valuable service to next of kin and society in general in seeking to explain the causes of death in those instances which are reportable by law.
The Department of Justice has responsibility for providing financial and administrative support to the Dublin District Coroner’s Office since 1st January 2018 - Coroners in all other districts are the responsibility of their respective Local Authorities.
Waiting times for the completion of post-mortem examinations in the Dublin District Mortuary (DDM) generally fluctuate depending on the demands on the service, but recent developments, including the withdrawal by a number of hospitals in the Dublin region of pathology services for Coroner-directed post-mortem examinations has placed increased pressures on the service. The DDM nevertheless works to ensure that waiting times for post-mortem examinations carried out at the DDM are kept to a minimum. The Dublin District Coroner’s Office is exploring whether some, or all, of the hospitals in question can recommence conducting Coroner directed post-mortem examinations.
The Dublin District Coroner’s Office have also appointed two locum APTs and are seeking to appoint another. The DDM also established an APT trainee programme in 2021 and is currently preparing to run a second recruitment campaign to bring in additional trainees this year.
The Department of Justice has also established a Standing Committee tasked with considering the core issues involved in the provision of a sustainable pathology service to coroners in the longer term. The committee includes representatives from the Department, the Coroners Society, the Office of the State Pathologist, the HSE, the Royal College of Physicians – Faculty of Pathology, and the Local Authorities.
