Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their contributions, which give a clear picture of the frightening and completely unacceptable practice that exists. In the written contribution there is mention of a proposed human tissue Bill and other legislation in this country. That Bill would require consent for organ sourcing. What practical effect or benefit would that have in dealing with this issue?

The witnesses obviously wish to create as much awareness as possible of these terrible procedures being performed on so many people. Have they engaged with committees in the European Parliament, the political groupings or the Council of Europe? We are a very small state and the European Parliament, its committees and political groups are the representatives of 28 member states, so it is in a much better position to put forward a case. There is a regular dialogue between the EU and China on human rights issues. Have the witnesses had the opportunity to participate in those fora?