Consent to release medical report of deceased victim of non-fatal offence.

The courts could order production of them if they were required. They possibly weren’t.

I initially read it as that he didn't sign any consent form and therefore the hospital didn't have permission to record his data, they just had to treat him. Hence there was no medical report.

I'm not sure if hospitals are in fact required to obtain your consent to record your data, but I don't see why they would be exempt.

Indeed, so it seems based on that more likely that he didn't sign a consent form for his medical records to be disclosed to the Gardai or other 3rd parties.

Interesting document I found here:

https://medisec.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Factsheet-Requests-for-a-Deceased-Patients-medical-records-v-2.pdf

Actually comes across quite fraught for medical professionals. It suggests that there is no specific, blanket law requiring that medical records remain private after death, but that it's a matter of ethical practice and "best interests". It suggests there are some instances in which it is not permitted to disclose.

As @Lenar3556 says, the court could have ordered the records to be disclosed if they were needed. But it sounds like they weren't.

From what I read in the thread, the case was the trial of an assault charge against the woman. Medical evidence about the consquences of the assault would normally form part of such a case, since it goes to the gravity of the charge - an assault that results in a broken skull is obviously more serious than an assault which results in a broken fingernail. That evidence was not available because, although the victim had been medically examined after the assault, he died before consenting to the disclosure of his medical information and, without that consent, the medics were reluctant to disclose it.

As others have pointed out, the court court have ordered the release of the information and the medics would have complied. They didn't, possibly because there was other evidence about the gravity of the assault and they felt they had enough information, or possibly because the prosecution and the defence agreed that there were certain medical consequences (there was a guilty plea, remember).

I don't think there's any connection to the victim impact statement - evidence about the gravity of the assault would be relevant and admissible whether or not a victim impact statement is given.