OPPOSITION TDS ARE calling for an investigation to be held and measures to be taken at University Hospital Waterford’s mortuary. 

It comes after reports from RTÉ and the Irish Times indicate that Gardaí have agreed not to send any more State cases to the mortuary following reports that the bodies in the mortuary were kept in substandard conditions. 

Four pathologists wrote a letter in October outlining concerns about the conditions at the hospital’s mortuary, saying that bodies had been left on trolleys in the corridors of the mortuary, leading to closed-coffin funerals, and exposing the public visiting hospitals “to the odours of a postmortem room”.

This has raised concerns with the State Pathologist’s Office that there’s the potential for the contamination of evidence, it’s been reported. 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar originally said that he wasn’t sure whether to believe the reports after no evidence was found by the hospital, but later apologised and said that he regretted his tone.

Varadkar also previously indicated that he wouldn’t be investigating the reports further.

In response to the news this evening that State cases won’t be sent to the Waterford mortuary, TDs have been demanding that further action be taken.

Waterford TD for Sinn Féin David Cullinane has said that it should never have come to this, and the Department of Health and HSE should have acted sooner.

The Hospital Group, hospital management, and the HSE knew about the dreadful conditions at the mortuary since 2004 and yet, building works have still not commenced for a new facility. 

He’s called for an independent inquiry into the mortuary and asked the Department and the HSE to appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee to answer questions.

Mary Butler, Waterford TD for Fianna Fáil, has said that she has written to the chairman of the Health Committee, Dr Michael Harty, asking to invite the HSE  the Hospital Group in charge of the mortuary, and the four pathologists who originally raised concerns, to appear before the committee. 

She has also called for a full inquiry into the mortuary’s conditions “to learn from the mistakes that were made”.

Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly has said that instant action needs to be taken “to ensure that conditions at the hospital are in line with best practice”.

If the government needs to supply modular buildings on the hospital grounds to act as a temporary mortuary then so be it.  We can’t be left waiting for a response.  Action must be taken before the end of this week.

He said that the Taoiseach had previously suggested that Hiqa might look into the issue but the health watchdog has made it clear that it has no power to investigate mortuaries.