Coroners to be asked about all cases of unidentified remains since 2019

Hildegarde Naughton: 'My officials will write to each coroner to ask them what cases of unidentified remains they have dealt with since 2019.' Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews

The Government is to write to each coroner to ask them what cases of unidentified remains they have dealt with since 2019, in an effort to speed up any delays in linking the finding of remains with missing persons.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton said the results of the number of cases identified in each coronial district will be shared with An Garda Síochána and its Missing Persons Unit.

Ms Naughton was responding to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Colm Burke, who has long called for a centralised database and office to deal with unidentified remains. He also referred to calls from the coroner for Galway for the establishment of a centralised database for unidentified human remains.

Ms Naughton said preliminary work was carried out by An Garda Síochána in 2019 to record unidentified remains that may be located with individual coroners across the country. She added that further steps would now be taken in what Ms Burke later said was "a step in the right direction".

Ms Naughton said: "My officials will write to each coroner to ask them what cases of unidentified remains they have dealt with since 2019.

"Additionally, a new question on unidentified remains will be added to the annual statistical return from coroners, as provided for under section 55 of the Coroners Act 1962.

"The results of the number of cases identified in each coronial district will be shared with An Garda Síochána and in particular their Missing Persons Unit. This will provide an overview of the current situation since 2019 across the country along with an ongoing annual update on any new cases each year to permit An Garda Síochána to follow up with the individual coroners."

Ms Naughton said Forensic Science Ireland and An Garda Síochána have worked in partnership to deliver a DNA testing facility for families of missing persons at the national Missing Persons Day ceremony and that she hoped the annual return from coroners will encourage more family members of missing persons to participate in DNA testing and database matching.

"To encourage this greater engagement, my officials will develop targeted communication and outreach campaign, in partnership with An Garda Síochána and Forensic Science Ireland, to build on the success of National Missing Persons Day and encourage families to participate in this process," she said.

Last month Mr Burke wrote to Justice Minister Heather Humphreys regarding the lack of a central database for missing persons, stating that there are more than 900 long-term unresolved missing persons cases in this country.

"The families have to deal with the many issues that arise once a person has gone missing and no explanation," he said.