Fury over toothless Inquiry body

ANY illusions about the seething anger and frustration among parents at the centre of the organ retention scandal will be dispelled

Few issues have caused such deep resentment as Minister Martin’s refusal to give statutory powers to the Dunne Inquiry, which is currently investigating this heart-rending tragedy.

As a result, most of those caught up in the controversy over the unauthorised removal of the brains of dead children believe they cannot get the kind of information they have a right to access.

It has also come to light that the brains of hundreds of dead adults, including victims of suicide and depression, were removed in at least five major hospitals, without the consent of next of kin.

At least one university still has such brains in storage for medical research.

The fact that 636 of the 870 families in the Parents for Justice group are preparing to sue the Minister for damages is a reflection of the hurt felt by parents over the removal of organs for medical research without permission.

Arguably, if Minister Martin had put the Dunne inquiry on a statutory footing, and if the hospitals had apologised, this scenario might never have arisen.