Organ donation opt-out system bill to go before Oireachtas ‘early next year’

Organ donation in this country is set to change to an opt-out regime per legislation to be brought before the Oireachtas early next year, said Health Minister Simon Harris.

The minister said it is his intention to bring the Human Tissue Bill to Cabinet before the end of March 2020. Under the terms of the bill, which has been in the legislative works since 2016, a ‘soft’ opt-out system will become law, meaning that unless a person specifically states their unwillingness to donate their organs it will be assumed that they are a willing donor.

However, Mr Harris said that the final say prior to donation will be with the family of the person in question.

“I would encourage people to have those conversations with their loved ones,” he said.

He added that such an opt-out system “is in line with international best practice”.

Some 110 people had donated organs here at the end of 2019, representing the lowest number since 2014. However, the year past saw a record number of lung transplants take place, with 38 in all being carried out.

Mr Harris said that additional funding of €500,000 will be made available in 2020 to develop the National Organ Retrieval Service in order to make Ireland’s donor infrastructure “comparable with best international standards”.

Present at the briefing was Rebecca Maher, whose eight-month old daughter Mathilda donated her kidneys to a 41-year-old man after she passed away from a heart condition in 2015.

“Your organs are worth nothing to you after you pass away,” she said, adding that “it’s very important for everybody to have that conversation”.

“You never know what’s going to happen in any given day.”

Philip Watt, chair of the Irish Donor Network, said at any one time there are between 500 and 600 people on the wait transplant list for heart, kidney, lungs, and pancreas — who could benefit from an opt-out system.

“Any significant initiative that would increase the number of people who receive organsise has to be welcomed,” he said.

He added that 30 people died on the waiting list last year, so the legislation would save lives.

“We would have liked to have seen the legislation fully enacted at this stage,” said Mr Watt.

We feel this should be the number one priority for Government.