Sod turned on new pathologists' offices

Construction work on a new facility for the offices of the State Pathologist and Dublin City Coroner is underway.

The €14m development - located in Marino - will overhaul and modernise the facilities for use in investigating suspicious deaths.

Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the new technology will play a vital role in helping to solve crimes when the facility opens next autumn.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said it will be state of the art with high-tech facilites.

"Befitting to the importance of both Offices' work in the Criminal Justice and Coroner systems, it will be a world-class facility that will serve the operational needs of each for many decades to come," Minister Ahern said.

The project is a joint venture between the Department of Justice and Law Reform and Dublin City Council, costing €13.8m with construction costs of €7.4m.

The new facility will be formally known as the ‘Medicolegal Centre’ and will incorporate two post-mortem rooms, laboratories and mortuary facilities for use by the City Coroner and the State Pathologist's Office.