Health minister says incineration of babies' organs at CUMH 'should not have happened' 

'It is unacceptable that their child’s organs were disposed of in this way,' said health minister Stephen Donnelly. Picture: Damien Storan.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly has said the incineration of the organs and tissue of babies who died in CUMH without the consent of parents "should not have happened", and he has sanctioned a review to ensure similar incidents did not occur elsewhere.

Mr Donnelly has said he "cannot begin to imagine the hurt that this has caused" to the 18 families affected.

These families had already been through the unimaginable tragedy of having lost a beloved child, and it is unacceptable that their child’s organs were disposed of in this way," he told the Dáil.

Three investigations are now under way to find out how perinatal organs of 18 babies, stored in the hospital mortuary between May 2019 and March 2020, were later incinerated without the knowledge of parents. Mr Donnelly said he expects to receive the first review by November.

Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion said the incident had "shocked everybody to the core", and said if the State really is sorry for what happened, it will ensure families are not put in similarly horrific situations again.

I am struck by the lack of accountability and lack of responsibility that we seem to have in this country and in our history, particularly whenever we are speaking about topics that affect women and children," she said.

Raising the experience of a "grieving mother" who lost a child at 24 weeks, Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould said this mother has not been formally contacted by anyone in the HSE or CUMH, and instead learned the full details of the scandal when it broke in the media.

"Press statements are no way to issue an apology," he said.

Solidarity-PBP Mick Barry and Independent TD Catherine Connolly also pressed the minister on when families were first contacted.

Responding, Mr Donnelly said the HSE and CUMH had "categorically" stated that they contacted the families in May 2020, however, he said if this is not the case, he will "act immediately on that", because "there can be no question of this being more widespread, we have to act on it."

He said each of the families were initially contacted by phone, and registered letters were then sent last year.

Labour TD Duncan Smith said "the blaming of Covid for what happened doesn't hold water", saying that it had been "thrown in" as an excuse for what happened.

Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns raised the case of Leona Bermingham, whose son Lee died just over two years ago.

Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan's twins were delivered at 33 weeks, on September 18, 2019, by emergency c-section. Baby Lee passed away hours later. Picture: RTÉ

"This scandal is about those babies and their families, we must never lose sight of that," she said.

They donated their children's organs in good faith that it might help save lives. It was an incredible gift they gave in the hope that another family would not suffer the same pain. 

"This wonder kind act makes the callous treatment o the organs even worse."