Minister for Health Mary Harney has agreed to brief the campaign group Parents for Justice on the contents of the report of the Dunne inquiry into postmortem practices in hospitals after its dissolution next week.
However, it emerged last night that the report may not be available by the March 31st deadline set recently by Ms Harney.
Officials in the Department of Health are now expecting the report some time next month.
Parents for Justice, which represents the parents of children whose organs were retained without their consent, described yesterday's meeting with Ms Harney over the matter as "constructive".
Fionnuala O'Reilly, the group's spokeswoman, said it was glad to be getting some form of a report after five years of waiting.
However, she said, it was "hugely disappointing" that the report would cover the practices of only three paediatric hospitals, given the "vast majority" of cases related to maternity and general hospitals.
"Three out of 200 hospitals is a very poor return.
"Either the inquiry did not receive the level of co-operation necessary from the hospitals, or the inquiry was not adequately resourced - which seems highly unlikely, given it has cost €20 million to date," said Ms O'Reilly,
A spokesman for the Minister described the meeting as "positive". He added that whatever the outcome of the Dunne report on paediatric hospitals, "it is not the end of the organ retention inquiry".
One option being considered by the department is commissioning an expert to produce a report based on information gathered by the Dunne inquiry, which is being wound down amid rancour over missed reporting deadlines.
Ms O'Reilly said it would be "completely unacceptable" to cease all investigations once inquiry chairwoman Anne Dunne had completed her report.
"At the end of this report, most people still won't know any more than they did five years ago. That it very unsatisfactory."
She added that parents were entitled to know as soon as possible whether or not the organs of their children had been retained in hospitals throughout the State.
"There is a moral imperative to notify parents, and then let them deal with that notification as they wish."
Under its terms of reference, the Dunne inquiry was to review the postmortem practices and procedures in all hospitals in the State since 1970.
It was also mandated to examine any arrangements between pharmaceutical companies and hospitals in relation to the retention of organs.
Parents for Justice has complained in the past that the inquiry had missed five deadlines to produce a report.
