Report a death to the Coroner

The following types of deaths must be reported to the Coroner:

• sudden, unnatural, violent, or unexplained deaths (where a doctor cannot sign a Death Notification Form)
• deaths where the doctor has not attended to the deceased in the last month
• deaths in certain other categories

If a death is from natural causes

A death will usually be reported to the Coroner by a Healthcare Professional, for example: if the death is due to natural causes in a nursing home or if the doctor had not seen or treated the deceased within a month before their death.

If a death is from unnatural causes

If a death appears to be due to unnatural causes, it should be reported to a member of Garda Síochána who will notify the Coroner.

All other categories of deaths

In all other circumstances a death should be reported to the Coroner by:

• the doctor of the deceased
• a funeral undertaker
• the Registrar of deaths
• any householder and every person in charge of an institution or premises where the person who died was residing at the time of their death

A death is reported by contacting the Coroner's office in the area that the death occurred in. Find your local Coroner.