Holly Cairns
Ceist:45. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the progress made in reforming the Coroner Service. [25834/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 24 May 2022
Ceisteanna (45)
Freagraí scríofa
The coroner service is a network of coroners in districts throughout the country. Coroners are independent quasi-judicial officials whose function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can issue.
Many of the recommendations of the 2000 Review related to the strengthening of the legal provisions regarding the work of the coroner. There has been significant implementation of many of the recommendations, through amendments to the Coroners Act 1962, in particular;
- 2005 legislation ended the restriction on the number of medical witnesses allowed at inquest;
- 2011 legislation provided for the restructuring and amalgamation of coronial districts;
- 2013 legislation provided for legal aid and advice by certification by coroners to the Legal Aid Board in relation to inquests;
- 2019 legislation clarified, strengthened and modernised coroners’ powers in dealing with death investigation. The scope of enquires at inquest was expanded beyond being limited to establishing the medical cause of death, to seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the death. The Act also broadened coroners’ powers relating to mandatory reporting and inquest of maternal deaths, deaths in custody or childcare situations and significant new powers to compel witnesses and evidence at inquest.
- 2020 legislation provided for the appointment of temporary coroners to act simultaneously with coroners in exceptional circumstances.
With regard to reform of the Coroners Service, the Coroners Bill 2007, incorporated many of the more than 100 recommendations contained in the 2000 Review. It also had regard to the proposals of the Rules Committee. Due to the challenges confronting public finances, the administrative restructuring proposed in the 2007 Bill was not progressed following Second Stage in the Seanad.
I am committed to reform in this area and the Justice Plan 2022 commits to bringing forward nationwide coroner review proposals later this year to address identified issues and drive innovative change.