The group representing women whose wombs were unnecessarily removed by obstetrician Dr Michael Neary yesterday welcomed the decision by the Medical Council to refer all information it has on the matter to the Garda.
Ms Sheila O'Connor, a spokeswoman for Patient Focus, said many women had been "grievously assaulted" by Dr Neary and she hoped he would now be prosecuted.
Dr Neary was last month found guilty of professional misconduct by the Medical Council over the removal of 10 patients' wombs. The council decided to strike his name from the medical register. Dr Neary had the option of appealing that ruling to the High Court but has not done so.
The High Court is expected to hear an application shortly for confirmation of the Medical Council's decision. The council said on Tuesday that once these legal proceedings were over it would offer all files it has on the cases to the Garda.
The council's decision to strike Dr Neary from its medical register came 4½ years after the first complaint was made against him.
More than 100 women have alleged that Dr Neary performed unnecessary Caesarean hysterectomies on them at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda over a 20-year period up to 1998.
Ms O'Connor thanked the two "brave" nurses who originally "blew the whistle" on what was happening to patients of Dr Neary at the hospital.
She also thanked the North Eastern Health Board for the manner in which it dealt with the matter after it took over the hospital from the Medical Missionaries of Mary in the mid-1990s.
Ms O'Connor yesterday reiterated her call for a public inquiry into what went on at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and into why the files of so many women who were treated by Dr Neary were missing.
The Medical Council has said that it supports the need for a "broad inquiry" into the "tragic events" at the hospital and it will discuss this and other issues with the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, when it meets him next Tuesday.
Last month, the Supreme Court upheld a finding of negligence against Dr Neary in his treatment of Co Louth woman Ms Alison Gough when she gave birth to her only child almost 11 years ago. Dr Neary removed Ms Gough's womb, but the High Court found that he could have carried out procedures which would have made this unnecessary. While the Supreme Court appeal by Dr Neary and the hospital against the €273,223 award to Ms Gough was rejected, the court reduced the amount by €50,000.