I can inform the Deputy that in accordance with the provisions of the Coroners Act, 1962, a coroner is a statutory officer exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions, in relation to which he or she is independent.
While I appreciate the issues which arise for the families and relatives of a suicide victim, I am informed by coroners that an inquest is, by definition, a public inquiry into a death and must therefore be held in public. I am informed, however, that coroners seek to handle such cases as sensitively as possible within the constraints of the law in this area.