Organ Retention
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Pauline Tully (SF), Cultural and Educational Panel

I thank the Minister of State. The reply outlined the important changes that have taken place since, and they were required. Unfortunately, though, there was such a gap from when the initial investigations and reports were undertaken, which were all in the early 2000s, until the Act was passed in 2024. Paula lost her son Tadhg in that period. Had action been taken quicker, perhaps that might not have happened to her and many other families.
There is also the fact that it is this one pathologist. The question is why. He was made to leave his post or was fired or whatever the terminology used was. The question is why he was then allowed to carry out autopsies in other circumstances. As Paula said, she just never got the explanation or the apology concerning what happened. That is really heartbreaking for her. I know it is because she and other families have spoken out about this issue that the legislation has been introduced, and rightly so. It is not that anybody queries the need for autopsies and how important the information that can be gleaned from them on the cause of death is. It is just about the consent for and the knowledge of what is happening to the bodies of loved ones.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22