Workplace deaths: A new procedure is to be introduced to stop the hold-up of inquests into deaths that occur in the workplace.
At present, families can wait up to five years before hearing vital postmortem results and evidence outlining the circumstances of fatal accidents.
This has led to many families at coroners' courts expressing anger, frustration and prolonged grief.
The Dublin City Coroner has announced that the coroner's society was consulting the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Department of Justice to establish a process whereby inquests involving workplace accidents could be heard while safety breaches were ongoing in the criminal courts.
At present, an inquest cannot be heard until an investigation into safety breaches is concluded in the criminal courts.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that as investigations into safety breaches were not directly concerned with the death of the person involved but solely whether regulations had been breached, there was no reason why an inquest should not proceed.
Dr Farrell made his comments last Wednesday at an inquest into the death of a four-year-old boy who was killed when hit by a construction vehicle in Ballymun, Dublin, in 2001.
Dr Farrell told the parents of Alex Cutberth, of Ballymun, that their son had died instantly.
"Thank you for saying that. We needed to hear that after four-and-a-half years," his mother, Joan Landy, said in court.
Until last week, Joan Landy was unaware if her son was killed instantly or died later at Temple Street hospital almost five years ago.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman said consultations with the coroners' society were "ongoing in relation to details of the Coroners Bill".
"The Bill is in the course of being drafted for publication later this year."
A spokesman for the HSA said that "talks were at an early stage" with the coroners' society but they were happy to work at resolving this issue.
He said the investigation into Alex Cuthbert's death was particularly lengthy because the company involved was based in Britain.
Last May, PJ Carey Contractors Ltd was fined €40,000 and ordered to pay an estimated €12,000 costs at the Circuit Criminal Court in relation to breach of safety regulations that led to Alex's death.
The family have a civil action pending against PJ Carey Contractors.
Speaking outside the coroner's court last Wednesday about her son's death, Joan Landy predicted that more fatalities would likely occur during the Ballymun regeneration project.
"Ballymun is a construction site . . . I don't believe this is the end of it, I believe more deaths will occur in Ballymun."
A spokeswoman for Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL) said the site was perfectly safe.
A memorial plaque at the spot where Alex died is to be removed and replaced on a nearby wall by BRL, Ms Landy said.
"It is the wish of the family and the people of Ballymun who fundraised for the memorial that it be left where it is but they are planning to move it.
"They had promised to leave the plaque but now have plans to remove it for the development of a shopping centre," she said.
The spokeswoman for BRL confirmed that the site where the plaque is will be developed into a shopping centre but a replacement memorial was being arranged.