Coroners need adequate powers to ensure witnesses attend inquests and the sooner the existing legislation is changed the better, according to the Louth County Coroner, Mr Ronan Maguire.
Failure to address the lack of power the coroners court has in this matter could affect future inquests.
Mr Maguire's comments yesterday came as he concluded an inquest into the death of a Spanish man without members of his family being present or any witness other than the investigating garda.
The coroner said he had been put under huge pressure from the Spanish embassy to close the inquest and, as this was also the written wish of the family of Juan Andres Hernendez Prados, he acceded to it.
The coroners court heard Mr Prados (38), Avenida Oraola, Eibar, Guipuzcou, had been driving a Volkswagen van which travelled on to the wrong side of the Dundalk inner relief road and collided with another car on July 31st last year. Mr Prados was the only fatality. A post-mortem found he died from multiple injuries consistent with being involved in a road traffic collision.
Concluding the inquest, Mr Maguire said: "The sooner the law is changed the better.
"In England coroners have adequate powers to ensure witnesses come to inquests. Here we do not, even for those within our jurisdiction, and the jury at inquests should have the benefit of hearing these witnesses. This is a deeply unsatisfactory situation.
"I understand the Coroners Act 1962 is being reviewed at the moment," he added, "and I hope the question of the lack of power a coroner has to bring a witness to an inquest is looked at."
The jury concluded that Mr Prados died at the Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, as a result of the accident.