Kidney Association seeks increase in live organ donations

The Irish Kidney Association has called for a return of the practice of live kidney donations due to a shortage of organs for transplant operations.

The practice largely died out in Ireland decades ago because there were enough organs available at that time to meet demand.

However, the Kidney Association said the opposite was now the case, with demand far out-stripping supply.

It said three live kidney transplants were carried out in Ireland last year, but Beaumont Hospital in Dublin alone could carry out 60 more operations every year if they organs were available.