LEGISLATION REGARDING SOFT opt-out organ donation is to complete passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas today. 

Under the Human Tissue Bill, consent for organ donation will be deemed unless a person has, while alive, registered his or her wish to not become an organ donor after death.

This is a change from the current system in Ireland where decisions on organ donation are the responsibility of the next-of-kin and assumes that a person has a desire to donate their organs after they die unless they have made a statement of objection to donation. 

There will still be discussion with designated family members before organs are removed for transplant.

The Bill also provides “robust, transparent and ethical” framework for the carrying out of post-mortem examinations, the use of bodies and body parts for anatomical examination and education, and the public display of bodies and body parts. 

The Bill will complete its passage in both Houses of the Oireachtas later today. 

It will then be sent to Uachtarán na hÉireann for signing. 

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the passage of this Bill is “a meaningful moment for healthcare in Ireland”.

“This Bill enshrines respect – respect for the generosity of donors and their families, and respect for the dignity of the deceased,” Donnelly said. 

As the Bill nears completion, Donnelly today announced increased funding of €1.6 million for organ donation and transplant services for 2024. 

The funding will support the implementation of the early phases of the 2024-2026 Organ Donation Transplant Ireland’s strategic plan. 

The plan aims to increase organ availability for transplantation, reducing the existing transplant waiting list of 601 people, funding the expansion of the national potential donor audit, and promoting a public awareness campaign on organ donation.