Surge in organ donations in 2011

There has been a surge in organ donations for the first three months of the year.

The announcement comes after 2010 showed the lowest number of organ donors in 22 years.

The programme for government pledges to replace the current opt-in system, where a person decides in advance of death to donate his or her organs, with an opt-out system where consent is presumed.

But Terry Mangan, chairperson of the Irish donor network, insisted even in countries where this is the law, it doesn't always lead to an increase in transplants.

"No physician would ever remove the organs from a patient without the express permission of a family member or next-of-kin," he said.

"That's why we don't think it works; what's more important are the structures and the systems within the hospitals themselves.

"To ensure that we have trained co-ordinators who can identify potential donors and manage that through to donation."