Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she will meet with a group (details supplied); if she will address their concerns that information they have received under the Freedom of Information Act 1997 suggest that investigations held to date into the retention of organs of deceased patients have been inadequate and incomplete. [32156/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I am satisfied that the retention of organs following post-mortem examination on deceased children and adults has been properly investigated. The information referred to by the Deputy consists of documents which were released to Parents for Justice (PFJ) by individual hospitals under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation. The documents do not represent new disclosures but rather are copies of the documentation which those hospitals submitted to the Dunne Post-Mortem Inquiry. When Dr. Madden was appointed by the Government to complete the report on post-mortem practice and procedures the documentation collated by Ms. Dunne was made available to her. Dr. Madden produced a robust and thorough evaluation of the papers which she examined and took all relevant matters into consideration in drafting her report.

Parents for Justice released a subset of the documentation which they received under FOI to the media on 14th July 2008 and subsequently sent me a copy of this subset. The documents relate largely to the supply of pituitary glands by hospitals to pharmaceutical companies between 1976 and 1988. Dr. Madden addressed this matter in detail in Chapter 6 of her report. It would not be appropriate for me to re-visit the conclusions reached by Dr. Madden, who is an eminent expert in medical law, and who had access to an extensive body of documentation, including witness statements, in preparing her report. I have given PFJ an undertaking that I will meet them when the independent review of the organisation being conducted on behalf of the Health Service Executive has been completed and I will listen to their views on all relevant matters on that occasion.