Cleaner did not find body in department

THE woman who lay dead for more than two days in the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Dublin before her body was discovered was not found by a cleaner, the department confirmed yesterday.

Cleaner did not find body in department

The department yesterday confirmed that the woman, who is understood to be in her mid-30s, left her office on Friday, August 31 last, and her body was found in another room in the building on Sunday, September 2.

Gardaí made the discovery during a search of the building which began on the Saturday.

Agriculture House, as the building is officially known, is on Kildare Street, just a few hundred yards from the Dáil.

News of the woman’s death emerged yesterday following a newspaper story. The department subsequently issued a statement clarifying some of the details of the case.

“The tragic death took place in the department over six months ago.

“The woman who died had left her office on Friday, August 31, and her body was found in an unoccupied room in Agriculture House by gardaí on Sunday, September 2, following a search of the premises on Saturday and Sunday,” the statement said.

“The department was in close contact with the family at all stages and department personnel also played a part in the removal service and the funeral mass,” the statement said.

“The department subsequently arranged for a prayer service in Agriculture House which was attended by the four ministers in the department, work colleagues and the woman’s family.

“Given the sensitive nature of the matter of the death of a dear colleague, the department was at all times concerned to act in a manner respectful of the feelings of her family and work colleagues.”

The department said it had not been the case that the body was found by a cleaner, stressing it was gardaí who had made the discovery.

The department also stressed that the body was not found in the minister’s office, but in an unoccupied room in a different block of Agriculture House.

It also said that, contrary to suggestions, the woman had not worked directly for Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan.

The inquest into the woman’s death has not yet been held.

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