Autumn timeline for Human Tissue Bill 'not good enough'

Katie Quilligan, whose son James was one of 18 babies whose organs were sent for incineration to Antwerp, said that the legislation needs to be brought in as soon as possible to prevent other families from going through the same pain as she and the other 17 families went through. Picture: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

A bill which would provide a legal framework for the storing and disposal of human organs and tissue following autopsy is expected to be published in the autumn.

The Human Tissue Bill was due to be published last December but still has not been completed.

The Oireachtas business committee has now been told that the bill is still being finalised, with the intention of publishing it in the autumn. 

The families of 18 babies whose organs were sent for incineration to Antwerp from Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in 2020 without their consent or knowledge have called for the bill to be expedited.

They include Katie Quilligan, whose son James was one of the 18 babies.

Ms Quilligan said that the legislation needs to be brought in as soon as possible to prevent other families from going through the same pain as she and the other 17 families went through.

Awaiting report

She also said the families are frustrated because they are still awaiting a draft copy of a report on how the organs of the 18 babies were sent for incineration.

A spokesman for the South/Southwest Hospital Group said that there is still no update regarding a date for providing the families with the report.

He said that there was no impact “by issues in other locations”.

In recent weeks, it emerged that the organs of two babies born in University Maternity Hospital Limerick in 2019 were sent for incineration in April 2021, the same month a review got underway into the incineration of the organs of the 18 babies from CUMH.

The Department of Health says the legislation is currently at an advanced stage and will be published “as soon as possible”.

Labour health spokesman Duncan Smith said: “Not only should the bill have been published but we should have debated it in the Dáil. Now, all we have is a vague commitment to publishing this bill in the autumn. Not good enough.”