The Dunne inquiry has announced that it needs more time to issue its memorandum of procedures. This is the schedule showing how it intends to proceed with its report into how hospitals obtained consent for post-mortems and retained organs over the past 30 years.
The inquiry, to be chaired by Ms Ann Dunne SC, was announced by the Minister for Health early last year and was expected to issue its report within six months. This was extended to 18 months, and may be extended again.
It wrote to the families of those who had organs retained and to the hospitals involved earlier this summer nominating July 20th as the date when the final draft of procedures would be issued. However, Ms Fiona McCabe, solicitor to the inquiry, told The Irish Times yesterday more time was needed. The inquiry's terms of reference have been widened from paediatric organ retention to all organ retention in the State's principal hospitals.
The Dunne inquiry will not hold public sessions, due to the sensitive nature of the issues. Parents for Justice is hoping the inquiry will recommend the introduction of new laws on the treatment of "human tissue". The hospitals are concerned that new regulations on post-mortems have already led to a reduction in the number being carried out. They have also complained of the workload imposed by the inquiry. One Dublin hospital has spent more than £1 million preparing for it.
