Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin has confirmed this evening that the removal of thymus glands from living children undergoing open-heart surgery is standard practice there.
The statement came after it was discovered that the Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool had been selling similar organs from living children who had undergone heart operations to pharmaceutical companies.
Chief Executive of Crumlin hospital, Mr Paul Kavanagh said in a statement today that "there is no knowledge of any thymus gland being given to any pharmaceutical company in return for any financial or other benefit".
He added that the glands, which are sometimes removed in order to gain access to the heart area for surgery purposes, are sent to the hospital's research laboratory for testing.
The Labour Party spokesperson on Health, Ms Liz McManus, has called for an immediate inquiry into the situation.
"I am calling on the Minister for Health to immediately launch an investigation into ongoing gland retention at Crumlin Hospital.
"It is essential that the Minister moves quickly to place all the information about this development in the public domain as soon as possibly," Ms McManus said.