Praveen Halappanavar is to go to the European Court of Human Rights to seek a public inquiry into his wife's death last month at Galway University Hospital.

He has given instructions to his solicitor Gerard O'Donnell to proceed with an application to the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr Halappanavar's solicitor told RTE that in the absence of a full public inquiry, his client had no option but to seek legal redress.

Mr O'Donnell said they are taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that "his client is entitled, under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to a full and proper inquiry into his wife's death."

A HSE inquiry into Savita Halappanavar's death has begun, and the safety body HIQA is to undertake an independent inquiry into the issues surrounding the case.