Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I wish to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest and deepest sympathies to the families dealing with the aftermath of this scandal. It was heartbreaking to listen to the parents of baby Lee and to hear the story recounted by Deputy Gould. It was harrowing news for us all to hear, and all of the parents who have been affected by the recent revelations from CUMH are at the forefront of our hearts and minds. We must now ensure that this sensitive matter is dealt with in an appropriate, professional and sensitive manner.

In the wake of the last major similar scandal two decades ago, promises were made that history would never repeat itself. Devastatingly, however, we are here again in a sad and shameful situation that I have no doubt will forever stay with all of us, in particular the families impacted. This time, we should ensure that a way is paved for more preventative actions to be taken.

I have several questions about how the State will guarantee that families avoid this kind of trauma in the future. This is a sensitive subject and it must be dealt with as such. An investigation must be thorough and transparent and escalated to emergency status to ensure it is brought to a timely conclusion that avoids dragging out the pain and torture for the parents and families impacted. It must get to the bottom of why this travesty occurred. We should not be limited and should instead establish how widespread this practice may have been. What form will the investigation take, how will it be conducted and, importantly, who will conduct it and will it be overseen? Obviously, it should be conducted by an external independent investigator.

Like Deputy Funchion, I would like to know what hospitals are going to be included in the investigation. Will it be spread to all maternity hospitals? The Minister stated that he had contacted other maternity units across the country to confirm that this was an isolated incident. In light of the extremity of this scandal, however, what assurances will there be that that is the case?

CUMH has rightly recognised its mistake. However, in May 2020, hospital management sent an incident report to the Department of Health. Management did not categorise the incident as serious but did express concerns about there being adverse publicity. That the incident occurred in the first instance is alarming, but the lack of regard of its seriousness only adds insult to injury. Senior pathologists followed up directly with the HSE and called out the unacceptability of the hospital management's dismissiveness of the issue. It is important that the senior pathologists took the moral and ethical route by calling their counterparts out on the misinformation presented in the incident report, but it shows that there can be a culture of minimising breaches of standards and brushing things under the carpet.

What will be done to ensure this is the final time that families are exposed to a traumatic event like this one? Will there be a wider examination into the HSE's standards and practices around post mortems? Are these guidelines adhered to and do they need to be legislated for in terms of a human tissues Bill?

Once again, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who have been impacted.

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