Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will take up the Government’s offer to engage with it on the human tissue Bill. The Minister of State also confirmed the Government did not even give a timeframe for the publication of the heads of the Bill prior to this recall. This recall forced the Minister and his Department to make a cogent argument as to what they were doing with this legislation. In fact, it lit a fire under the senior Minister to get moving in this area. We will continue to engage with the Government on this. All sides of the House want the best system for those waiting for organ transplants.

We are going ahead with SI 325/2012, signed by the Minister without debate. However, no extra resources will be given to the organ donation and transplant office which has only one doctor, Dr. Jim Egan, and one sixth of a full-time equivalent staff member. Every Member agrees this is simply not enough.

Every Member also agrees directives must be debated both here and in the other House.