A West Clare transplant recipient has hailed the introduction of long-awaited bill as a “landmark” moment for those seeking organ donations.
A new bill his expected to be enshrined in law in the coming days which will mean everyone is considered an organ donor unless they opt out.
After years of campaigning from donors, transplant recipients, political activists and others, the Human Tissue Bill has passed the Oireachtas this week.
The bill means consent for organ donation will now be assumed unless the person, while alive, decides to opt-out, under a system referred to as “soft opt-out”.
This is a significant departure from the current whereby a person’s next-of-kin is responsible for specifying whether or not they wished to donate their organs.
The aim of the proposed legislation is to cut down on the existing transplant waiting list, which currently stands at 601 people.
Miltown Malbay resident Aine Mae-Crowley, who received a kidney and pancreas treatment in 2017, believes the legislation would result in improved quality of life for countless people nationwide.
In conjunction with the bill, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has announced an additional €1.6 million for organ donation and transplant services for the coming year.
As well as reducing the waiting list, this funding is aimed at supporting the expansion of the national potential donor audit and promoting organ donation through a public awareness campaign.
Irish Kidney Association representative Sharon Fitzgerald, who’s based in Newmarket-on-Fergus, is hopeful an attitude shift is coming which will make people more inclined to donate their organs, thus helping those who need them.
You can listen to the full interview below.
