Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Deputy Tom Fleming on tabling this Private Members' motion and on the work, effort and research he has put into this subject. It is interesting to note there is another function on the playing fields of Páirc an Chrócaigh anocht freisin at which this issue is being discussed with Mr. Joe Brolly. Deputy Fleming has engaged deeply on this issue and, with the help of Ms Yvonne Murphy in the Technical Group office, has worked very hard on it. I also am glad to have some time to speak on the issue. I also understand its value and know a good number of people who have benefited over the years from organ donations and transplants. The joy and physical and mental relief it brings to those people, their families and their loved ones are very important. However, it is a subject on which I am not 100% clear and this is the reason I thank and compliment Deputy Fleming on raising the topic for debate. I hope the Government will be magnanimous and will be forthcoming with a reasonable response to what is a reasonable, well-prepared and carefully crafted motion. No one can really argue about this issue because, as I noted, all Members know people from their constituencies or personal lives who are waiting for such donations.

The issue of education and educational programmes has been mentioned. A huge educational effort must be made to educate everyone and I am first to put up my hand and state I also have a lot to learn about the subject. On the available figures, while they are small by international standards, Ireland has quite good ratings for what is a kind of a fledgling service. I salute all the hard-working consultants, nurses, voluntary groups and NGOs who work in this area and who try to ensure there is good co-operation. While the motion calls for an implied opt-in for everyone, in tandem with an opt-out system, I have an open mind about that. There are some fears given the situation in some countries regarding organ stealing. I refer to people with money, as the dreaded word "airgead" can come in and organs can be very valuable. While this must be described as being completely reprehensible and such acts defy logic anywhere in the world, unfortunately, it has occurred and one must be absolutely sure to be sure in that regard. Were the system to be introduced in which everyone was deemed to have opted in but an opt-out clause system was in place, it would be necessary to run a huge education programme to educate people in order that they understood this point.

Deputy Fleming also presented figures indicating the annual cost of dialysis for patients is €70,000. I acknowledge it is life-saving for them and, yesterday evening, I visited the house of a lady in my constituency who has been getting dialysis for years. While dialysis provides her with life and gives her help in respect of her quality of life, it certainly is a huge expense and a huge challenge for such patients. I note that particular patient is obliged to travel three days a week to Waterford Regional Hospital, which is quite a spin and takes a lot of time. I also have encountered some cases recently involving home dialysis, which is a wonderful achievement. I refer to one of the gentlemen who visited Leinster House ten days ago with the groups that made a presentation in the audiovisual room seeking greater awareness and greater promotion of organ donation and transplants. It was wonderful to talk to a man at that meeting who was able to self-regulate and get his dialysis at home. While his name eludes me at present, it is wonderful that he could do this.

Although the figures are growing slowly, unfortunately, they are not growing quickly enough for those people who do not receive a donation of a kidney or any other badly needed organ. The Joint Committee on Health and Children also invited professional people to appear before it last week to discuss this issue. They comprised quite a spectacular team of highly qualified and trained practitioners in the field. At that meeting, joint committee members learned that co-operation with the United Kingdom and other European countries is very important, as is co-operation with all the hospitals. In their presentation, those expert witnesses also made it clear to committee members that were they to get a huge influx of organs, which is the stated intention of the mover of the motion, Deputy Fleming, and on which everyone is speaking in favour, they lack the facilities, finance and capabilities to harvest them. Consequently, although there are problems in many areas of the health system, Members must ask the Minister for Health to up the ante in this regard, to spare this area from any cuts, to have more specially trained nurses and have in place all the different qualified people.

No time should be lost when an organ transplant is possible, when a person loses his or her life tragically, dies suddenly, by accident, or whatever the circumstances may be. There should be air ambulances and plenty of road ambulance personnel to ensure that if there is that gallant gesture on the part of a person who wanted to donate organs to save somebody else's life then every effort will be made by everybody concerned, with no red tape or bureaucracy. No lack of funding should be allowed to interfere with that outcome, in any place or any way. We must salute the non-governmental organisations and, above all, the families of the many deceased persons who perhaps die suddenly or are killed in a road accident. They have taken that magnanimous and worthy gesture in a family decision to have their relative's organs harvested in order to save the lives of others. We have heard countless people testify to that and have seen the joy it gives to both sets of parents. Unfortunately, we have occasionally seen the sad situation when there is organ rejection, after all the good will and effort on the part of the clinicians and medical personnel, and all the joy this has brought and the hope it has given to the person waiting for the organ, and to the parents. We have seen false alarms and alerts, and rejections but we will have those in spite of the best medicine in the world and the best medical people. However, the joy of saving even one life - and there are countless lives - is so much worth looking for and striving towards rather than having negativity or blockages.

I compliment Deputy Fleming and his staff for introducing this motion today. It will enable Opposition Members and those in the Government to consider it in all seriousness and in the responsible way we should, so that we can ensure there is funding and that there are no roadblocks in this situation.

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