Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again stress that the passage of the human tissue Bill remains a priority for the Minister of Health and the Government. While it is regrettable that publication of the Bill has been delayed, this reflects its complexity and the sensitivity of the areas is covers. The Bill will introduce safeguards to protect the integrity of the human body before and after death, and it will underpin the primacy of consent in these matters.

The legislation will support the Government's commitment to increase organ donation and transplantation in Ireland. More than €7 million additional funding has been provided for the development of services in recent years, which has, among other things, enabled the development of a dedicated national organ retrieval service, as well as the recruitment of additional staff across transplant services.

It is equally important that the regulation of the practice of post mortem examinations is advanced without inadvertently impacting on the crucial work of coroners. Officials in the Department of Health continue to work actively and intensively with the Attorney General and his office on resolving this and many other outstanding issues.