Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
236. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to rectify delays in post mortems for coroner inquests in the south-east; if he has engaged with the Minister for Health or the HSE regarding short staffing in pathology at UHW which is causing this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10722/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI appreciate the very valid concerns raised by the Deputy and others regarding the post-mortem service at University Hospital Waterford. This service is of vital importance to the people of the region, and in particular to bereaved families at a difficult time in their lives.
For context I would note that coroners 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. 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.
With this in mind, 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, the Coroners Society of Ireland, and the Faculty of Pathology, Royal College of Physicians Ireland.
My Department has introduced a short-term solution where locum pathologists are providing a coronial postmortem examination service on a three-day per week rota since 1 January in UHW. This approach is necessary to minimise any impact on bereaved family members who would otherwise experience lengthy wait times for the release of remains which are the subject of coroners’ inquiries. However, the use of locum pathologists to conduct coroner directed postmortem examinations is not a long-term solution to these issues and a more sustainable solution is required from within the health sector.
