Many thanks Dr Jo Murphy Lawless for contacting Chairman David Stanton of the Joint Committee, to remind them that when Bimbo and Dhara died, Coroners decided that the deaths did not require inquests. An investigation by a group of international experts led to the Coroner in Bimbo’s case to reverse that decision; he granted an inquest which ended in a verdict of medical misadventure. In Dhara’s case requests for an inquest by the Indian Ambassador to the government and an appeal to the Attorney General led to the inquest which also ended in a verdict of medical misadventure. We would never have known what happened in these and other cases without inquests. Many, many more deaths have not had inquests and we will not hear about them. It is with a very heavy heart that we have to update that the Committee replied by saying they do agree it is very important for them consider inquests; but they will not be doing so, even before the end of the 31st Dáil. In the very kind brave words of Widower Michael Kivlehan, ‘we are in this for the long haul’. He and other widowers fought through grief and child rearing so we can too. HIQA have commented on the need for improved patient safety surveillance which also points to the benefits of inquests, it’s worth the time it takes to read when you get the chance