Public encouraged to carry donor cards

Irish people are being urged to carry organ donation cards as part of a new campaign launched today by the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox.

It is part of a number of events taking place today - Organ Donation and Transplantation Day -across Europe.

Chairman of the Irish Donor Network, Mark Murphy, says rates of organ donation are good in Ireland but more and more people are in need of dialysis.

There were 212 transplants in Ireland last year, which is above the EU average.