A call by Kerry general election candidate for the reform of the Coroner’s Court Service has finally been answered with the publication of a report on a public consultation by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.
Cllr Michael Cahill had been questioning the logic of Kerry County Council having to fund the Coroner’s Court, while in the Dublin district, it is funded by the Government.
It has now emerged that significant reform through legislation is planned following the publication of the report and will include:
- The establishment of an independent Office of the Chief Coroner
- The enhancement of the support available for family and friends of the bereaved
- Ensuring families have equal access to pathology services
- A review of the he numbers of reportable deaths
Cllr Cahill said he is delighted that, at last, legislation is planned to correct this anomaly.
The coroner operates through the courts system and provides an essential service in sad circumstances for the families and loved ones of the recently deceased but it should be independent of local government and funded by central government,” Cllr Cahill stated.
This year alone Kerry County Council paid out in excess of €370,000 in coroners’ salaries, fees and expenses and in excess of €1.6 million during the past five years.
“Kerry County Council has paid out tens of millions of euros over the years for a service that strictly speaking has nothing to do with them,” said Cllr Cahill.
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