Oireachtas committee backs opt-out organ rules

Irish patients will be subjected to blanket opt-out organ donation rules if a new report by a major cross-party group is signed into law.

The call was made in a detailed document yesterday by the Oireachtas health committee, which said the change is needed to save the lives of people waiting for transplants.

Under the proposals, which were unanimously backed by committee members, the Department of Health will be asked to change the current opt-in system — which means only people already signed up as donors can have their organs harvested — for an opt-out approach.