Micheal Martin has described the revelation of Cork babies’ organs being incinerated without their parents’ knowledge abroad as “cruel and unacceptable”.
The Taoiseach was speaking in the Dail on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the screening of the shocking report on RTE’s Prime Time Investigates programme on Tuesday night.
Mr Martin said the revelations contained in the special programme were “difficult to comprehend.”
And he promised that time would be set aside in the Dail for a proper debate among TDs on the burgeoning scandal.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, will also be launching an official investigation into the facts uncovered in the report.
Mr Martin told the Dail: “I think it is very difficult to comprehend how this has occurred because this was the result of a fairly exhaustive inquiry, very comprehensive, across every single hospital in the country.
“The Dunne Inquiry would have been involved in that.
“In my view, that this was done without the consent, or indeed the knowledge, of the bereaved parents is cruel and unacceptable.
“I certainly would be anxious to facilitate a debate in the House and questions to be asked.
“I think the Minister (for Health) is seeking assurances from every other site across the country that this did not occur.
“There are two inquires I understand, reviews, underway, in the hospital at the moment, and in the HSE, but that said the desire of the House to have some debate here in the House and have the issue raised here in respect of the parents concerned, so I certainly would, on this side of the House, we will be facilitative of that.”
The Ceann Comhairle, Sean O Fearghail, then said that the Order of Business for the Dail for the week would be changed to allow for an urgent debate on the issue.
Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys, was speaking to reporters after Tuesday morning’s Cabinet meeting.
She said: “This has to be very distressing for the families concerned and as a mother, our thoughts are with them, it’s not easy for them.
“Just to say that the Minister for Health has initiated a review into this matter and we’ll await the outcome of that review.”
