The core function of the Coroner Service is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. The Minister for Justice has responsibility for the legislation that governs the role and responsibilities of coroners.My Department has no role in relation to the Coroner Service or the delivery of its functions.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) which operates under the remit of my Department is a regulatory body which carries out investigations into workplace fatalities. The HSA carries out these investigations independently of myself and my Department.
In the case of a sudden death, such as one resulting from a workplace incident, a coroner is required to hold an inquest. An inquest is an inquiry by a coroner into the circumstances surrounding a death and is entirely separate to any investigation of the HSA. Following the allocation of additional funding for the HSA in recent years, the overall number of sanctioned positions now stands at 317 across both administrative, professional and technical grades, of which there are over 250 in post. However this number is expected to rise by year end and into 2024. The bulk of current HSA recruitment is at inspector level.
