The Government is close to appointing a person to chair an inquiry into the activities of the former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary, according to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
Dr Neary was struck off the medical register by the Medical Council in July after he was found guilty of professional misconduct over the unnecessary removal of the wombs of 10 of his patients.
Since then Patient Focus, a group which represents many of the women damaged by Dr Neary, has been seeking a statutory public inquiry into the Dr Neary affair and in particular how he was allowed continue to remove patients' wombs at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
Dr Neary practised at the hospital from 1974 to 1998.
Last month, Mr Martin promised the women that their suffering would be inquired into in a fair and expeditious manner and that he would come back to them yesterday with concrete proposals on how the inquiry should progress. Mr Martin met Patient Focus again yesterday.
Last night he said the format of the inquiry still has to be decided upon and he will have further talks with Patient Focus on this issue in two weeks.
He said he could not comment at this stage when asked if the inquiry chairperson would be a senior counsel or High Court judge.
Ms Sheila O'Connor of Patient Focus described the hour-long meeting with Mr Martin as cordial and constructive. She said her group reiterated the need for for a full public inquiry.
"We expect a public inquiry. We do not see any other option and we are confident that in the end we will have a proper inquiry," she said.
However, she said Patient Focus would have preferred if the Minister had been able to present them with more definite proposals on the format the inquiry will take.
The Medical Council too has said it favours a broad inquiry into the Neary affair. It has referred its file on Dr Neary to the Garda Síochána.