Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 4

Written Answers. - Organ Retention.

Liz McManus

Question:

124 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will establish a full statutory inquiry into the retention and disposal of human organs in view of the facts that there is no legal obligation on the hospitals to co-operate under the Dunne inquiry and that it has taken two years to reach stage one of a three stage inquiry and has cost millions of euro; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28518/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

When the Government decided to establish the post mortem inquiry it was agreed that the format of the inquiry would be non-statutory. The chairman has informed me that the inquiry has received considerable co-operation from each of the hospitals with which it is presently dealing and that the inquiry's non-statutory nature has not, thus far, significantly hampered its substantive work. I have no plans to alter the status of the inquiry at this time.