The Post-Mortem Inquiry into the removal and retention of human organs at hospitals throughout the country since 1970 has begun today.
The inquiry, which will not be heard in public, is to be headed by independent Senior Counsel, Ms Anne Doyle and is expected to report to Minister Michéal Martin "within the year", according to the Department for Health.
The inquiry’s terms of reference include an examination of hospitals’ policies and practices relating to obtaining consent from parents and next of kin for post-mortem examinations, organ removal, retention, storage and disposal.
It will also review the "appropriateness" of the hospitals’ overall response to parents of children and next of kin of persons on whom post-mortems were performed.
Hospitals’ under examination by the inquiry board include Temple Street Children’s Hospital, The Coombe and Holles Street maternity hospitals and Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
A spokesperson for the office of the inquiry said the investigation would be conducted in private so as to prevent delays such as those witnessed at the various on-going tribunals.