Human Tissue Bill published, including commitment to soft opt out organ donor consent 

The Human Tissue Bill was published today, Tuesday 20th December 2022 and will create a presumption that individuals wish to be donors unless they have opted out of the scheme on an online registry- though families will still have the final say.  

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2022/121/?tab=bill-text

Over 600 people in Ireland are on waiting lists for organ donation. Soft-Opt-Out Consent has been available in Wales since 2015 and has made a significant difference to organ donor rates according to peer reviewed, independent research. The Netherlands has also brought in a similar system. Nearly all European countries have some form of soft opt out system. 

The Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill will establish organ donation as the norm, health minister Stephen Donnelly TD has stated.

Philip Watt, chief executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and Chair of the Irish Donor Network, said: “Transplant and donor rates in Ireland have the significant potential to be improved by this legislation, if accompanied by the necessary resources and public awareness supports.” 

The Human Tissue bill will also bring in a regulatory regime for post-mortems in hospital settings to be overseen by the Health Information & Quality Authority (Hiqa). It will provide the first comprehensive underpinning of organ donation and transplantation in Ireland including both deceased and living donation for those who need a kidney transplant.