Martin: Incineration of babies' organs without parents’ knowledge was cruel

IT WAS “cruel and unacceptable” that babies’ organs were incinerated in Belgium without the knowledge of bereaved parents, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

His comments came ahead of an RTÉ Investigates programme last night, which revealed that an investigation is underway at Cork University Maternity Hospital after the organs of 18 deceased babies were sent to Belgium and incinerated along with clinical waste.

Mr Martin agreed with the proposal from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald that Stephen Donnelly, the health minister, should go before the Dáil this week to answer questions.

“We can only imagine the extreme hurt and distress that those families are now experiencing,” said Ms McDonald.

“We need to know why this happened.”

Her comments were echoed by other TDs in the Dáil yesterday.

Mr Martin said: “I think it is very difficult to comprehend.

“This was the subject of very exhaustive inquiry in the past, very comprehensive across every single hospital in the country,” he told the Dáil.

“In my view, that this was done without the consent or knowledge of the bereaved parents is cruel and unacceptable.

“I certainly would be anxious to facilitate a debate in the House.

“I think the minister is seeking assurances from every other site across the country that this did not occur.”

Under HSE guidelines, when organs are kept for further examination at autopsies, hospitals should support and help the next of kin by facilitating their return.

The guidelines say that the hospitals may also arrange for the sensitive disposal of organs by burial or cremation.

RTÉ reported that the 18 families were contacted by Cork University Maternity Hospital in May last year.

They were told that the organs of their deceased babies had been incinerated.

Earlier yesterday, Justice Minister Heather Humphreys told reporters: “This has to be very distressing for the families concerned and, as a mother, our thoughts are with them.

“It’s not easy for them,” Ms Humphreys said.

“The Minister for Health has commissioned a review into this matter, and we await the outcome of that review.”