Councillors’ objection to loss of south Tipperary coroner is being raised with Justice Department

Tipperary County Council is to write to the Department of Justice highlighting its elected members’ objection to amalgamating the county’s coroners’ districts with  south Tipperary set to lose its  coroner next year. 

A motion calling on the council to write to the Department objecting to the amalgamation of  Tipperary North and South Coronial Districts  was unanimously approved at last week’s county council meeting. 

It emerged at the meeting that the north Tipperary coroner,  who will assume the functions of the south Tipperary coroner after south Tipperary coroner Paul Morris’ retirement next June,  will be responsible for appointing a deputy coroner. 

But Clonmel councillor Richie Molloy, who condemned the amalgamation as a “further downgrading of Clonmel”, expressed doubt over whether a deputy will be appointed. 

   Newcastle Cllr Máirín McGrath (Ind), who proposed the motion, condemned the  amalgamation as disappointing and warned having just one coroner  in the north  will have a negative impact on  the south of the county. “The work of the coroner is so sensitive and it needs to be done in a timely fashion,” she argued. 

Cllr  Molloy (Ind) said he was very disappointed to hear the coroner’s post in Clonmel was being discontinued  

He didn’t agree one coroner was sufficient for a county of  Tipperary’s size and expressed concern that people from the south of the county grieving the loss of loved ones in car crashes and to suicide will have to travel to Nenagh for inquests.

Cllr Molloy said    the coroner’s court in Clonmel seemed to deal with more inquest cases than Nenagh and there was a fantastic court office in Clonmel. 

“Everything is being driven towards Nenagh,” he complained. 

In a written response to the motion, the council outlined  the 2011   Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act  provides for a reduction in the number of coroners over time evolving the service into a regional structure.

  It stipulates that when a coroner vacancy arises in a local authority area with more than one coronial district, the Minister for Justice may, after consulting with the local authority, direct the role be taken over by the coroner serving in  a neighbouring district within the  same council area. 

The council said south Tipperary’s coroner was due to retire in 2019 but the  council secured ministerial consent to extend his  contract up to June 24, 2021.

 The Minister also  agreed that from June 25 next year, Tipperary’s coronial districts would be amalgamated with north Tipperary’s coroner  becoming  coroner for the amalgamated districts.

Council meeting administrator Ger Walsh told the council meeting, they must  have regard to the 2011 law  and pointed to the coroner’s responsibility to appoint a deputy.

 Cllr Molloy responded that as a councillor  from the south of the county he wasn’t happy with the amalgamation and he believed   councillors’ objection to this  should  be conveyed to the Department of Justice. 

 He accepted there was provision to appoint a deputy but wondered: “How do we know if he will?” 

Council CEO Joe MacGrath  promised to convey to the Department of Justice the sentiments of councillors in relation to the general principle of the need for two coroners.