The group campaigning for an inquiry into the retention of organs during post mortems has withdrawn from the Dunne inquiry, the private inquiry set up to examine this issue.
Parents for Justice made the decision after a two-and-a-half hour meeting with the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, last night.
Speaking after the meeting, the spokeswoman for the group, Ms Fionnuala O'Reilly, said: "In the absence of specific statutory proposals we have no alternative but to reluctantly and sadly withdraw from the Dunne Inquiry.
"We do so with sadness and pain. We hope to meet with the Minister in the coming weeks to resolve this impasse, and establish a statutory framework for an inquiry."
Since the Supreme Court judgment in the Abbeylara inquiry, Parents for Justice has been concerned that the Dunne Inquiry, which does not have statutory powers, would not be able to link names to actions in its final report.
Up to last July, the Dunne inquiry had cost €4.3 million.
A spokesman for the Minister for Health said the Minister regretted the Parents for Justice decision to leave the meeting last night.
"During a lengthy meeting he listened to the groups's concerns and said he was prepared to work through those concerns.
"The Minister reiterated that he had always said there would be a statutory phase to the inquiry whether through an Oireachtas committee or in another format."
Ms O'Reilly, spokeswoman for the group said yesterday: "There could have been breaches of the Coroner's Act.
"Under it the coroner must be notified of all deaths under anaesthesia or within 24 hours of surgery.
"The Dublin city coroner received no such notification in many cases," she said yesterday.
"We believe many post mortems were obtained under false pretences.
"People were told that the post mortem was necessary because it had been ordered by the Dublin city coroner.
"The Dublin city coroner has written to us to say there was no such order.
"There may have been breaches of the birth and death Registration Acts. One woman, whose child died 18 years ago, only recently summoned up the courage to get the death certificate.
"When she went into Joyce House for it she discovered there was none. She was asked was she sure she had the child. We're told these were administrative oversights.
"These 'administrative oversights' occurred in case after case.