The company involved in the latest organ retention revelations this evening confirmed it paid fees to doctors and hospitals for organs.
A group representing families affected by the scandal believes the information that has emerged to date is just "the tip of the iceberg".
Parents for Justice was responding to the latest revelation that children from around 20 families had their pituitary glands retained by hospitals without permission and passed to a pharmaceutical company to make human growth hormone.
Ms Fionnuala O'Reilly, spokeswoman for the group, today criticised the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, for what she said was his "insensitivity and indifference" in handling the scandal.
She called for the disbandment of the Dunne Inquiry into the scandal and for the setting up of a new organ-retention inquiry, which she said should be put on a statutory footing.
Ms O'Reilly questioned the wisdom of holding any such inquiry "behind closed doors. "Why is he [the minister] determined to keep the lid on this scandal?"
The Parents for Justice spokeswoman said her organisation represented some 922 families, including some people who had discovered the organs of their adult relatives had been retained.
Pharmacia Ireland recently wrote to a number of hospitals with information it said had only recently come to light on the pituitary glands passed on to it by hospitals. Around 20 parents whose children's glands were retained by Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin were written to in the past few days informing them of the news.
Ms O'Reilly said some parents were still receiving letters today and that the recent disclosures were "completely unexpected".
"I can't tell you how distressed these people are," she said. "This information should have been available at an earlier date to families."
Ms O'Reilly questioned why it had taken Pharmacia four-and-a-half years to find the information sought in 2000, shortly after the Dunne inquiry was established in 1999.
Parents for Justice withdrew from participation in the inquiry last October, citing its frustration with the body's failure to produce a report.
In a statement issued this evening Pharmacia Ireland said it was experiencing difficulties in providing the Dunne Inquiry with all documentation being sought.
"While it has often been difficult to locate documents dating back more than 20 years - a situation that has been complicated by several corporate mergers since then - Pharmacia Ireland has made a concerted effort to identify and provide to the Inquiry any documents relevant to its investigation," the statement said.
The firm confirmed that between 1977 and 1985, Kabi Vitrum Ltd which it described as a "predecessor company to Pharmacia" bought pituitary glands from "a number of hospitals in Ireland" to manufacture the growth hormone product, Crescormon.
"Kabi provided reimbursement to pathologists and hospitals for the work involved," the firm said but insisted the fee was to solely for the purpose of covering costs.
The glands were obtained during post mortem examinations, consistent with
prevailing medical standards and full patient confidentiality was maintained, the company added.
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children has a confidential helpline for those affected by its own retention of children's organs. The numbers (01) 4096715 or (01) 4096552 are open between 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.