Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 February 2026
757. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the progress made on coronial reform, including the preparation of Heads of Bill; his plans to establish formal agreements between his Department, the HSE, and coroners to ensure sustainable provision of medicolegal autopsies and prevent further service cessations in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7476/26]
View answerCoroners are independent office holders, and my Department has no role in directing their work during their investigation of any death. Neither does my Department have any role in relation to the work of pathologists who, as clinicians, undertake postmortem examinations on the direction of a coroner.
Policy and operational responsibilities for the provision of postmortem examination services to support the work of the Coroner Service are supported by several departments and agencies. My Department is responsible for the legislation underpinning the work of coroners, while the provision of the postmortem examination service is largely provided through the Health Service and its personnel. Pathologists, other than forensic pathologists in the Office of the State Pathologist, are not contracted to either my Department, or to coroners.
Where a postmortem examination is deemed to be required, the coroner will arrange for it to be conducted as expeditiously as possible in order to ensure the timely release of remains to the next of kin of the deceased. Depending on the circumstances of the death, a postmortem examination may be deemed necessary by the coroner, and is carried out by a pathologist or, in forensic cases, by the Office of the State Pathologist. A coroner’s investigation into a death may be finalised upon receipt of the postmortem examination report.
In 2022, my Department established a ‘Standing Committee on the Provision of Coroner Directed postmortem examination services', membership of which is drawn from my Department, other relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the Office of the State Pathologist, An Garda Síochána, the Coroners Society of Ireland, and the Faculty of Pathology, Royal College of Physicians Ireland.
Securing the provision of the postmortem examination service for the coronial death investigation function is challenging and I have been engaging with the Minister for Health to address this. There are issues arising within the pathology profession generally, including relating to training and recruitment, as well as competing demands on pathologists in areas of diagnostic and research work. I acknowledge those concerns. However, a long-term sustainable solution is nevertheless required, whereby this important service to the community is provided from within the pathology profession in Ireland generally.
In October 2024, Government approval was given to draft a general scheme of a Bill to significantly reform the Coroner Service. As part of this work, my Department is examining ways to increase efficiencies and minimise the impact of the death investigation process on bereaved people. Department officials are currently working on drafting Heads of Bill in this regard, with the aim of bringing this before Government in the coming months. The proposed legislation to reform the Coroner Service will provide for a national coronial service to be centrally funded, thereby removing the responsibility for coronial services outside of the Dublin area from the local authorities. It will also provide for the establishment of an independent Office of the Chief Coroner, full-time salaried coroners and discontinue the existing fee-based system.
A restructured and modernised Coroner Service will drive consistency and will assist coroners to better meet the needs of bereaved people, through the provision of enhanced ICT, administrative and family liaison supports.
