Race against time for Norris to get transplant

Senator David Norris is facing a race against time to secure a transplant in his fight against an inoperable liver cancer.

The stress of the 2011 presidential election contributed to the cancer, which stems from viral hepatitis that Mr Norris had some 20 years ago.

“I’ve a wonderful team in St Vincent’s [Hospital], they’re using technology called embolisation. They’re very optimistic and so am I.”

Following an intensive dose of treatment where “poison is injected directly into the tumour”, the main tumour has contracted and many smaller ones have disappeared.

Consequently, the 69-year-old may be in line for a liver transplant, but only before he turns 70 in eight months.

“And that’s quite right in my opinion because a young person with a family, with energy, with ideas, should come first in the queue, absolutely,” he said.

Speaking on The Ray D’Arcy Show in favour of a no vote in the Seanad referendum on Oct 4, Mr Norris called the mooted abolition a “powergrab” by the Government.

“They won the presidential election; they have an overwhelming majority in the Dáil; they have all the councils; all the committees... they have the army, navy, air force, gardaí; they have the banks they bought with our money against our wishes, and now they want to abolish the senate. The powers it gives Government is just incredible and yes, of course it’s dangerous.”

Mr Norris also revealed he has planned his funeral and penned a final farewell outlining his Christian faith as he “always likes to have the final word”.