Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Burke for raising this issue. I am pleased to inform the House that I introduced a scheme to reimburse the expenses of living donors on 12 November last year. The scheme provides for the reimbursement of loss of earnings incurred by living kidney donors and provides for the reimbursement of accommodation and travel expenses incurred as a direct result of kidney donation.

A key principle of organ donation is that it should be voluntary and unpaid. However, it is recognised that most living donors incur financial losses while donating a kidney. The scheme that I have introduced is based on the premise that any reimbursement granted does not provide a financial incentive or reward to the potential donor. The reimbursement scheme applies to a person who has been selected as a potential donor by the living donor programme at Beaumont Hospital and to those who, under clinical supervision of the national renal transplant programme at Beaumont, travel to the United Kingdom for a paired kidney donation.

The loss of earnings incurred from the time the donation takes place and up to 12 weeks post-donation are eligible for reimbursement. A maximum of €6,000 applies in respect of loss of earnings and payments can apply to either salaried or self-employed donors. In addition to loss of earnings, reasonable travel and accommodation expenses incurred from when the person is selected as a potential donor through to the inpatient stay when the donation takes place and for up to 12 weeks post-donation are eligible for reimbursement. Again, there is an upper limit of €6,000.

I am pleased to inform the House that provision was included in the Finance Act 2014 to ensure that these reimbursements are exempt from income tax. The Department of Social Protection has agreed that in circumstances where a donor is in receipt of a payment from that Department, such payments will continue for a period of up to 12 weeks from donation. This is, of course, provided that such payments are in line with the normal rules and regulations of the Department of Social Protection.

The reimbursement scheme is administered by the HSE. Up to the end of May it had received 13 applications for reimbursement from living donors and has paid out €15,000 so far. In conjunction with the HSE, my Department proposes to review the operation of the scheme before the end of the year to see how it is working and to consider how it might work better.

Finally I wish to put on record my thanks and those of the Government as well as our appreciation to living kidney donors, who donated kidneys in record numbers last year. The gift of life they have given to others is an example to all of us.