Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

No words can describe the pain of the 18 families involved in this horrific incident. The loss of a baby is an unimaginable tragedy but the inhumane treatment of their retained organs compounds that pain and trauma. No one can imagine what these families are feeling. My condolences to the families involved; all our thoughts are with them. We acknowledge the strength and bravery shown by the parents who have been able to speak so powerfully on this matter. It is incomprehensible that an incident like this could happen. It is truly shocking and deeply distressing.

Leona Bermingham, mother of baby Lee, who died just over two years ago, has articulated the suffering and anger of her family and others. She explained:

I want people to know he had a name and he was beautiful. I want people to realise that he was a baby that was born alive. There is someone behind these organs that we speak about.

This scandal is about those babies and their families and we must never lose sight of that. They donated their children’s organs in good faith that it might help save lives. It was an incredible gift they gave in the hope that another family would not suffer the same pain. This wonderful, kind act makes the callous treatment of the organs even worse, if that were possible. The grieving families impacted by this scandal deserve answers. We, as a society, also deserve answers. This House must do everything it can to ensure this never happens again.

This incident is distressing for other families who have lost babies in CUMH and other maternity hospitals who are left fearful about the treatment of their children’s remains. We need robust mechanisms to provide assurance to these families as well. It also brings to mind the horrific history concerning the treatment of deceased infants and children by State-funded bodies in Ireland. It is a history that is still very much alive for many families and is the subject of legislation coming before the Oireachtas. When we hoped these types of practices were a thing of the past, a new scandal like this arises. There are no words.

It should also be noted that CUMH has a well-regarded bereavement care team for people experiencing pregnancy loss and perinatal death. These are incredibly important services, which need to be appreciated and fully funded. It is essential that scandals such as this do not stain the good work of these teams and caring professionals. However, we need answers and the establishment of unequivocal protocols to ensure this can never happen again. The 18 families directly affected and other families who have endured loss under similar circumstances need that reassurance.

After previous similar scandals dating back more than two decades, why were there no safeguards in place in CUMH in 2021? How is the Minister ensuring there will be safeguards in place now and that this will never happen again? Is the review the Minister references going to ensure this has not happened in any other hospital in the country?

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