Two patients who died in a Rathfarnham nursing home were buried before death certificates were issued for them, Dublin County Coroners Court has heard.
Ms Sadie Kelly (86), with an address at Nutgrove Avenue, Rathfarnham, and Mr Joseph Dillon (83), with an address at South Circular Road, Dublin, died at Rathfarnham Nursing Home, Stocking Lane, Ballyboden, on May 23rd, 2003, and August 1st, 2004, respectively.
Garda witnesses told two separate inquests in Tallaght Court that they had been asked to investigate both deaths.
At the inquest of Ms Kelly, Garda Catherina Savage said staff at the nursing home had not contacted either the Garda Síochána or the coroner's office about the death.
Ms Kelly's niece, Ms Maura Swokram, told the inquest that a nurse in the home had told her that the family would get a death certificate.
Mr David Fanning, from William Fanning undertakers, told the inquest he had been told the nursing home would inform the coroner's office of Ms Kelly's death.
Ms Kelly's GP, Dr Brendan Deasy, said he was sure no one from his office had told the nursing home that they would be issuing a certificate.
Ms Maura Travers, a nurse at the nursing home, said she had no recollection of saying that she would contact the coroner. She accepted she had told the undertakers that the doctor would be issuing a death certificate.
The coroner, Dr Kieran Geraghty, asked Ms Travers: "You told this to the undertaker. Why did you do that? You can't say that somebody is going to sign a death certificate without clearing it with them first." Ms Travers replied: "Yes".
Ms Joan Singh, proprietor of the nursing home, said it had not been the home's policy to notify the coroner's office of deaths at the home.
Dr Geraghty said he had previously directed that his office was to be notified of all deaths in nursing homes. He gave the cause of death as undetermined due to natural causes with an open verdict.
In the case of Mr Dillon, the inquest was told that a death certificate had not been issued. Dr Geraghty said it was impossible to give the cause of death of Mr Dillon. He recorded the cause of death as undetermined with a verdict of natural causes.