Organ donor choice on driving licences 'should be shared with the HSE' 

‘Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt’: Kate Twohig, a liver transplant recipient from Clonmel, Co Tipp, with a message urging people to discuss organ donations with their loved ones. Organ Donor Awareness Week continues until Saturday. Picture: Andres Poveda

Organ donor choices stored on drivers’ licences should be shared with the HSE to help families make decisions around this sensitive topic, experts have said.

Currently, out of 3.2m people with a full licence or learner's permit, some 1.48m or 46.3% have Code 115 indicating donor status, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has said.

However, while this information is available to some state bodies, it is not shareable with the HSE.

Senator Mark Daly — who was nominated to the Seanad by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) — called for examination of potential benefits from sharing this data more widely.

“Given that there is a legislative provision for some aspects of driving licence data to be shared with organisations like the gardaí, I believe that there is merit to further exploring how legislation can be drafted to include data sharing of Code 115 information with healthcare professionals to facilitate a more informed discussion with families considering the wishes of a loved one,” he said. “This would be a ministerial decision." 

Irish Kidney Association CEO Carol Moore: 'Like the organ donor card, being in possession of a driving licence with Code 115 offers clarity and reassurance for people about the wishes of their loved one.' File picture: Conor McCabe

The Irish Kidney Association said of the data: "[It] could offer potential for a ‘ready-made’ opt-in register for organ donation which would support families and health professionals faced with the difficult decision for organ donation."

They noted there is no provision in the Human Tissue Bill for an Opt-In Register meaning presumed consent.

IKA chief executive Carol Moore said: “Like the organ donor card, being in possession of a driving licence with Code 115 offers clarity and reassurance for people about the wishes of their loved one.” 

Ms Moore welcomed the Human Tissue Bill but added: “We do however see the lack of an opt-in register as a missed opportunity, especially given the future potential of legislating to allow usage of the Code 115 data.” 

RSA chief executive Sam Waide encouraged motorists to consider registering as a donor in the run-up to Organ Donor Awareness Week this month. 

A HSE spokeswoman said:  “Access to such registers is not necessary as consultation with families and their consent is required in all cases to progress donation. Code 115 and other such promotional endeavours are a very important aspect of public engagement and should be continued.” She added: 

The proposed new legislation currently in draft will move Ireland to a position of deemed consent for organ donation (soft opt-out).  

A Department of Transport spokesman said existing legislation allows bodies including the gardaí to receive National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF) data.

“Given the nature and sensitivity of data on the NVDF, any request for such data must have a business case from the requestor, a clear legal basis and have the appropriate governance procedures in place,” he said.