The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Micheál Martin has made a mistake of "Noonanesque" proportions in failing to establish a statutory inquiry into the retention of children's organs, said Parents for Justice, the campaigning group.
The Minister told representatives of Parents for Justice yesterday that he did not propose to establish a statutory inquiry at this stage.
He said he had met Ms Anne Dunne, the chairperson of the current post-mortem inquiry and she would not be able to provide a report on the removal, retention and storage of organs in all paediatric hospitals in 12 months.
With this in mind, he said, the Dunne inquiry should continue to do its work rather than a new statutory inquiry.
Ms Fionnuala O'Reilly, spokeswoman for Parents for Justice, said Mr Martin was "not fit" to continue as Minister for Health.
"[Minister Martin] does not wish for openness and transparency into one of the major health scandals in the history of the State.
"The Minister has made a mistake of Noonanesque proportions, which will inevitably have long-term implications for his political future," she said.
It was obvious the Dunne inquiry was now stretching into infinity, she continued.
"The report from Ms Dunne that is expected to be ready in 12 months is only into the paediatric hospitals. Then they will have to inquire into the maternity hospitals, and then into the general hospitals," she said.
"The Minister has said he will only discuss a statutory framework after the reports are in."
Confirming that the group would not be going back to co-operating with the Dunne inquiry, she said: "We found the Minister very entrenched, very intransigent. He has needlessly compounded the distress of the families just before Christmas."