Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by speaking about the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022. I have raised this Bill a number of times in the House and welcomed it. Each time I spoke about the legislation and welcomed and encouraged its progress through the Oireachtas, I always referenced with great pride and great affection, young Dáithi MacGabhann from Belfast. I am wearing my Dáithi superhero badge today. I assume Senator Hoey is wearing bright sparkly pink in solidarity with wee Dáithi too. She must have known what I was going to raise.

Wee Dáithi was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome which meant that from the time he was born he needed a heart transplant. His parents, Máirtín and Seph, began the "Donate for Dáithi" campaign and over a number of years they really galvanised and mobilised cross-party political and community support, and support among the sporting and athletic worlds. It was support from everybody.

I hope it does not sound too cliched but Dáithi really stole everyone's heart in highlighting his campaign. Over a long number of years, Dáithi and his family, along with others, eventually succeeded in getting one of those very rare occasions where Stormont came together unanimously to support the soft opt-out organ donation legislation.

Much like the human tissue Bill here in the South, that meant everyone in the North would become a donor unless they chose to opt out. That law became known as Dáithi's Law. Unfortunately, despite its passage and very disappointingly, because of the DUP's refusal to enter the Northern Ireland Assembly, the law cannot come into effect. Therefore, Máirtín, Seph and Dáithi and all of those other families now have to take up the fight again. With cross-party support they have been calling for the Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, MP, to move ahead with this legislation to ensure, even in the absence of the Assembly and the Executive, that this law can pass. At the heart of this legislation it is about saving lives. It is about adults and boys and girls who are waiting on organ donation.

I ask today, and I will write to all of my fellow group leaders this afternoon, asking for signatures to go to the Secretary of State in the North, Chris Heaton-Harris, asking that Dáithi's Law is moved and comes into effect without any delay. I am conscious that the best place for this to be dealt with and be resolved is in a sitting, functioning Assembly but in its absence we really need to ensure that Dáithi's Law becomes real law and that all of those waiting on organ donations are supported and can be reassured in the knowledge that this fight is has finally been won.