A top children's hospital in Dublin was sending organs to the United Kingdom without the permission of parents for several decades, it was revealed today.
Parents whose deceased children's organs were retained by hospitals said documents received under the Freedom of Information Act would leave mothers', fathers' and the general public traumatised.
As well as uncovering the shipment of deceased children's organs to the United Kingdom from Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin's Crumlin, the campaign group Parents for Justice said it was horrified to discover a letter confirming a pregnant uterus containing a normal foetus had been stored for around 14 years in a glass container at the hospital and the North Infirmary Hospital in Cork.
Charlotte Yeates, from the group, said the Crumlin hospital had always denied sending organs of Irish citizens to the United Kingdom without sanction or knowledge of the next of kin.
She said she believed the practice had taken place over four decades from the 1960s onwards.
"In addition, it is now clear that many of the families who suffered as a consequence of this policy of exporting organs to the UK are unaware to this date that same has occurred in respect of their loved one," she said.
Ms Yeates said Minister for Health Mary Harney must now allow the next of kin to ascertain, if they wish, whether organs from their loved ones have been retained under the practice.
The group highlighted that both the Dunne Inquiry, which went unpublished, and the investigation by Dr Deirdre Madden, into organ retention had failed to address the export of organs to other areas and were limited in terms of information given to the public.
The Department of Health said its officials, alongside the Health Service Executive, were working to implement the 50 recommendations outlined in the Madden report.
It stated all recommendations, including the running of awareness and information campaigns on the matter, would be put in place.
The department said a working group had been set up, along with the recommendations in the report, to examine issues not covered in the inquiry such as organ retention among babies who died before or during birth, minors over 12-years and adults.
Officials denied telling the campaign group a national audit in relation to organs that may be retained in hospitals would not be carried.
It stated an internal audit has been carried out in one major hospital since the publication of Dr Deirdre Madden's report and it was expected this would form the framework for a national audit.
The department said one of the key findings of the Madden report was that in some cases it may have been necessary to send samples of organs or tissues to hospitals in other countries for specialist examination.
The Madden report found the system of disposal of organs and tissues by hospitals was not intentionally disrespectful to children or families.
Under health and safety regulations hospitals were obliged to consider organs and tissues as clinical waste, and as there were no appropriate facilities in Ireland this had to be sent to other countries for disposal.