January 2000: The Post Mortem (autopsy) Inquiry is "approved" by the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, in response to a campaign by relatives of children on whom postmortems had been performed. The campaign was led by Parents for Justice.
February 2000: The inquiry is formally announced by Mr Cowen's successor, Mr Martin.
March 2000: Ms Anne Dunne SC, a practitioner in family law, is appointed inquiry chairwoman. She is to report within six months.
The terms of reference include an examination of hospital policy and practice relating to the obtaining of consent from parents and next-of-kin for post-mortem examinations, organ removal, retention storage and disposal.
The terms also provide for examination of hospital procedures and practice in relation to retained organs, the overall response to parents and next-of-kin and examination of any specific cases it deems appropriate. Hearings are to be held in private.
January 2001: The inquiry's premises in Parnell Square are made ready for occupation.
February 2001: The inquiry publishes notices in national newspapers saying it had recently begun its work and would shortly publish its interpretation of the terms of reference.
March 2001: The inquiry publishes its interpretation of the terms of reference and notice that the time-limit of six months for the full report no longer applies. The inquiry will report to the Minister within 18 months, unless otherwise determined by him.
July 2001: The inquiry writes to hospitals seeking records of all relevant post-mortems going back 30 years. The hospitals are principally the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, the Coombe Women's Hospital, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, the Rotunda Hospital and the major academic teaching hospitals in the State. The hospitals indicate the task could take up to two years.