The failure of the official inquiry into the retention of human organs at hospitals to meet the deadline for the submission of its first report has reportedly surprised the Minister for Health.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said that the report on organ retention in paediatric hospitals had been expected by Christmas.
"She was surprised that it did not make this [ deadline]," the spokesman said.
Parents for Justice, the representative group for parents whose children's organs were retained by hospitals, said yesterday that it had sought a meeting with the Minister.
The group maintained that this was the fifth deadline the inquiry, chaired by Ms Anne Dunne SC, had missed.
The December deadline for producing the first report on post-mortem practices in paediatric hospitals was agreed at a meeting between the minister for health at the time, Mr Martin, and the chairwoman of the inquiry last September.
It was also agreed that an examination of the inquiry's methodology would be carried out, with a view to producing as comprehensive a report as possible on the other outstanding issues by the end of March.
The spokesman for Ms Harney said last night that the Government's deadline for having the other issues dealt with by the end of March still stood.
The inquiry is reviewing post-mortem practices and procedures in all hospitals in the State since 1970.
It is also mandated to examine any arrangements between pharmaceutical companies and hospitals in relation to the retention of organs.
The Department of Health said late last year that the inquiry had run up costs of over €11.5 million to the end of last August.
In addition a further €6.7 million had been provided to hospitals and to Parents for Justice to cover costs associated with the inquiry.
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