Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Céad fáilte ar ais a chairde. Aontaím leis an méid adúirt an Seanadóir Keane. Seo díospóireacht iontach tábhachtach agus tá áthas orm a bheith anseo le labhairt thar ceann Shinn Féin ar an ábhar seo. Ná déanfaimid dearmad ar na daoine sa gcomhthéacs seo. Ceapaim go bhfuil an t-ábhar seo iompaithe isteach ina cluiche peile polaitiúil de phointe áirithe, ach táimid ag caint faoi daoine daonna atá ag fanacht ar orgáin. Is ábhar iontach leochaileach é sin. Beidh siadsan ag faire ar an díospóireacht seo agus caithfimid a bheith cinnte go bhfuil muid ag déanamh ár gcuid ar a son.

Caithfimid an díospóireacht seo a thógáil i bpictúir níos leithne. Caithfimid breathnú ar an gcóras sláinte ina iomlán, mar níl aon mhaith dúinn a bheith ag cur reachtaíochta chun cinn anseo muna bhfuil na háiseanna agus na tacaíochtaí cuí á chur ar fáil tríd an gcóras sláinte agus tríd córas uilíoch sláinte do gach duine. Tá teipthe ag gach rialtas go dtí seo a leithéid sin a dhéanamh. Tá an infreastruchtúr easnamhach ó thaobh cúrsaí daonna, cúrsaí fisiciúla agus smaoineamh de.
There can be little doubt but that this debate and the issue of organ donation is one of major importance. That Senators have made an effort to be here today for this debate is evidence of this. I am delighted to be here for the debate.

At a fundamental level, organ donation is essentially a matter of life and death. Let us not today forget the people on the waiting lists and turn this into a political football. No donation is possible without the passing of a human life. More often than not, this tragic passing and resultant donation offers another person the chance of living a full and healthy life, free from ill-health and the probability of an early death.

Simply put, organ donation gives people a second chance at life.

As a matter of party policy, first adopted by the Sinn Féin Ard-Fheis in 2008, Sinn Féin supports the presumed consent or opt-out rather than the opt-in system of organ donation. This position reflects our concern about, and desire to rectify, the current deficiencies in the system. It is clear to all that in recent times demand for donations and transplants has far surpassed availability under the present system. In light of this, as legislators, there is an onus on us to deal with this issue as a matter of urgency in its entirety. Therefore, it is imperative that any discussion about, and solution to, this issue also addresses the much larger issue of health care provision in Ireland. I respectfully suggest that any initiative that abstracts organ donation and transplant from health care in general cannot be taken seriously. The best interests of the population as a whole requires that we do no less.

In terms of basic health care, Sinn Féin believes that everyone, irrespective of socio-economic background, should be entitled, as a basic right, to free and accessible medical care which is of the highest standard. Ireland's failure to provide an efficient and reliable universal health care system for all its people has been the result of deliberate policy decisions by successive Governments. Since the foundation of the State, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been supporters and advocates of the two tier health system. Thus, we have a health system in this country where money and status determine a person's ability to access urgent and timely medical treatment. In this market driven model of health care provision, the poor, the working class, the vulnerable and those unable to pay are literally at the mercy of an under-funded and badly managed public health system which is in disarray. As we know only too well, this system often extracts a huge price in terms of qualify of life and early death from those who are unable to pay in monetary terms for their care. If ever the oft-noted quote that the poor pay more for everything were true, it certainly is the case when it comes to the provision of health care and life chances.

When we discuss the issue of organ donation and transplant, we must, if we are serious about it, acknowledge the severe deficit in the infrastructure for delivering transplants in terms of personnel, physical infrastructures and funding. These are serious issues which must be addressed if any new donor system is to be successful. For example, while research published in 2009 in the British Medical Journalshowed that donation rates increase after the introduction of presumed consent system, respected international studies also clearly indicate that changing the donor system is not by any means a panacea. Moreover, the paper in the British Medical Journalalso noted that availability of donors, organisation and infrastructure of transplant services, investment in health care and education and positive public awareness of organ donation all play an important role.

This was elaborated on in April of this year by Professor David Hickey, the country's leading transplant surgeon and director of the national kidney and pancreas programme when he addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. While acknowledging the importance of the opt-out option, Professor Hickey, none the less cautioned that it should be seen as only a part of a more comprehensive approach. Referring specifically to the opt-out option, Professor Hickey said it must be accepted that in the countries which have seen a significant increase in organ donation, and this increase has been attributed to the adoption of presumed consent, in reality, it has been the result of massive investment in both physical and personnel infrastructure.

It is clear that there is no quick fix to this issue and that organ donation in, and of, itself is not sufficient to address what is a complex and multi-layered issue. If we are to learn from best international practice on this issue, a holistic approach is imperative. In the long term, this has benefits for the State in terms of savings and efficiency. More important, a holistic approach offers real hope to people in need of transplants that maybe they too can live healthy and productive lives free from stress, ill-health and worry.

I welcome the guests in the Visitors Gallery and the members of the press who are here. This is a very important debate and I hope it is part of an ongoing debate on this issue. Mar atá luaite ag mo chomh-Sheanadóirí, seo ábhar iontach tábhachtach agus is cóir nach dtógfadh muid é mar liathróid pholaitiúil agus go ndéanfadh muid rud éigin fónta ar son na daoine seo le cinntiú gur féidir le daoine a dteastaíonn aistriú orgáin uathu é sin a fháil.