A public consultation on the reform of the Coroner Service will take place later this year, seeking views on a number of aspects of the coronial service, including the structure of the service and key ancillary services such as pathology and client/user engagement.

The Department of Justice has established the advisory committee to support the consultation process.

Members will include representatives from the Department of Justice, the Coroners Society of Ireland, the Department of Health, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána, the Office of the State Pathologist, the Royal College of Physicians’ Faculty of Pathology, and an independent expert.

The role of the committee will be to provide views and advice in relation to the consultation process, and provide advice on draft reform proposals following receipt of submissions to the consultation.

It is intended that the committee will meet on four occasions throughout the consultation process, with the first meeting in early September.

A spokesperson for the Coroners Society of Ireland (CSI) said it welcomed the establishment of the advisory committee and “looks forward to working with the committee and the Department on the work that is to be undertaken in the public interest”.

The Department is seeking expressions of interest from members of the public who have had experience of the coronial service and would like to sit on the committee. Those who wish to be considered must email csitmail@justice.ie by Friday 1 September, 5pm.

Applicants should set out how they have interacted with the Coroner Service in the past and their reasons for wanting to sit on the committee.