We will move straight on to the Order of Business. The report of the Business Committee will be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed?

They are not agreed. This morning, we heard very harrowing news about an investigation being carried out at Cork University Maternity Hospital after it emerged that the organs of 18 babies were transported abroad and disposed of by incineration without the consent or knowledge of their parents. I am sure we can only imagine the extreme hurt and distress that those families are now experiencing. This is not the first scandal and upset around organ retention and matters arising from this, however. It is beyond belief that we are at this point again.

As the Taoiseach will know, what happened in Cork University Maternity Hospital is in breach of HSE guidelines that go back to 2012 arising from a previous scandal. We need answers. We need to know why this happened. As a matter of urgency, time needs to be made available for the Minister for Health to appear before the House to make a statement, take questions and give answers to the Dáil, but, more importantly, to start to give answers and assurances to those families, in particular, and to the wider community.

We want to add our support to this call. How was this allowed to happen? It happened under the pressure of the pandemic, which bore down on every Irish hospital. Did anything similar happen in any other Irish hospital as the pandemic loomed? We want time to be made available this week for statements on this issue, and, in particular, for questions and answers with the Minister.

It is the same issue. We need a debate on this. It is truly shocking. It actually did not happen during the pandemic. It happened in the November before the pandemic arrived on our shores so we cannot blame the pandemic for everything. It is truly outrageous that this could go on, but, of course, the Government ushered in abortion here so can we expect anything better?

First, I appreciate the issue that Deputies McDonald, Barry and McGrath have raised. It is very difficult to comprehend how this occurred because this was the subject of a very exhaustive and comprehensive inquiry in the past across every single hospital in the country. The Dunne inquiry would have been involved in that.

That this was done without the consent or knowledge of the bereaved parents is cruel and unacceptable. I would certainly be anxious to facilitate a debate in the House and for questions to be asked. I believe the Minister is seeking assurances from every other site across the country that this did not occur. There are two inquiries and I understand that a review is under way within the HSE at the moment. With that said, I understand fully the desire of the House to have some debate and the issue raised in respect of the parents concerned. We will certainly facilitate that on this side of the House.

I thank the Taoiseach. We will make arrangements immediately after the Order of Business to consult the Business Committee and to make time available in light of what has been said. Can I take it, therefore, that the proposed arrangements for the week are now agreed? Agreed. I call Deputy McDonald on promised legislation.