Vol. 545 No. 1
201 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will investigate a claim made that the Dunne Inquiry on Organ Retention has experienced difficulties in having their representative visit a number of hospitals in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29597/01]
I presume the Deputy is referring to an article in the medical press which stated that a spokesperson for the Dunne Inquiry had refused to con firm or deny a suggestion that a number of hospitals have refused to allow the inquiry's representatives to visit their sites. The article went on to state that representatives of the inquiry had recently visited one of the maternity hospitals in Dublin and that another maternity hospital had not received a request to facilitate a visit. The article did not indicate the source of the suggestion and I have no information in that regard. As the House will be aware, the Dunne Inquiry is independent of me and my Department and I do not consider that it would be appropriate for me to intervene on this issue.
