Babies' remains used for medical examination, Gov report says
A government report has found evidence that the remains of almost 500 "unclaimed" infants were used for medical examination.
The inter-departmental report says the remains of 474 dead children were transferred to medical schools between 1940 and 1965, seemingly without the consent of their families.
The report also finds that nearly 2,000 children from the homes were put up for adoption in the United States, with little or no records on parental consent.
Judge Yvonne Murphy, the author of a report into the practice of symphysiotomy, has been announced as the Chair of the official Commission of Inquiry into the homes.
The Minister for Children, James Reilly, said the full terms of reference for the inquiry could take some time to finalise.
"It is a very complex issue to deal with," he said.
"There is concern about how the terms of reference are set in these commissions, because they very much influence the duration of the commission's work, and the costs that are sometimes associated with it."
