A hearing has opened to persuade the Minister for Justice to allow an inquest to be held into the presumed death of a kayaker who went missing off the coast of Co Donegal in October, 2024.
A huge search was launched for accountant Paul Buchanan who was reported missing on the evening of October 3rd.
However, despite the recovery of his orange kayak, Mr Buchanan, who was in his 50s, has never been found.
Mr Buchanan, of Ramelton, had been kayaking off Magheragallon Pier in Gaoth Dobhair but 24 hours later his kayak was found almost 5k north of Tory island.
A submission hearing was held into the disappearance of the married father-of-two by coroner for Donegal, Dr Denis McCauley.
The purpose of the Section 23 hearing is to prepare a file to be presented to the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan requesting his office to allow an inquest to take place.
Up until recently, it took seven years to formally hold an inquest into a person’s death if a body had not been found.
Coroner Dr Denis McCauley told the submission hearing held at Letterkenny Courthouse that he had been approached by the family of Mr Buchanan to submit such a report to the Minister for Justice on the matter.
Those present at the hearing included a number of members of Mr Buchanan’s family including his wife Bernadette, his two sons and extended family as well as the family solicitor, Mr Marshall McCloughan.
Also present were a number of members of An Garda Siochana including investigating officer Felicia Coll of Bunbeg Garda Station, Inspector Michael Brady and Sergeant Mark Colgan.
Garda Coll gave the submission hearing a very brief outline that Mr Buchanan had worked in a local credit union that day and had later gone kayaking.
She told how a large search operation had then commenced that night and into the next few weeks and how the missing man’s car had been found parked up along the shoreline.
Garda Coll also told how two sisters who were on Gola Island had witnessed Mr Buchanan kayaking back to the mainland and said the sea had been getting rough at the time.
Garda Inspector Brady said this was not a typical ‘inquest’ stating that no body had been found and that the coroner’s office had contacted An Garda Siochana to help assist in compiling a document which could be forwarded to the Minister for Justice where the decision on holding an inquest can be decided upon.
Inspector Brady added that their investigation would not be atypical as they would have to establish that there is no existence of life.
This would include checks including investigations to see if there was any financial aspects to the case to determine if any monies had been moved and also to examine if Mr Buchanan’s passport or any other travel documentation had been utilised.
Coroner Dr McCauley stressed that this was “not even an inquest” but a submission which will be used to allow the Minister for Justice to make a decision on allowing an inquest to be held in future.
“We just want to explain to everyone what we are doing,” added the coroner.
The coroner agreed a timeline for the submission which would include a submission from Mrs Buchanan as well as Gardai and said this will then be forwarded to the office of the Minister for Justice for consideration.
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