St James's Hospital in Dublin has written to the families of 184 people on whom autopsies were done since 1995 to arrange the disposal of retained organs.
The hospital says it will pay reasonable expenses incurred by families who wish to dispose of the organs in their own way. Alternatively, it will cremate the organs and bury them in the St James's plot at Mount Jerome Cemetery.
Until the recent controversy concerning the retention of organs by hospitals around the State developed, St James's disposed of organs by incineration. However, it has now introduced new procedures. The hospital says it is aware the issue could cause distress and has opened a helpline at 1800 202 934.