Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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596. To ask the Minister for Health his views on an issue (details supplied); if there is anything being done at present by his Department to encourage more persons to carry organ donation cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18121/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is working closely with HSE's Organ Donation Transplantation Ireland (ODTI) to support initiatives aimed at increasing the levels of organ donation and transplantation. This has included the allocation of increased funding in recent years. Additional staff have been recruited to foster a strong culture of organ donation, to optimise conversion rates and to ultimately increase the number of transplants that are carried out. Last year saw the second highest annual number of organ transplants carried out in Ireland, with a record 50 living donor kidney transplants.

My Department is supportive of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), and the work they do to raise awareness of organ donation, including through the Organ Donor Card initiative. Funding of €180,000 was provided to IKA in 2016 by the Health Service Executive and further funding is being made available this year. Much of the emphasis in relation to awareness is on encouraging people to discuss organ donation with their loved ones to ensure that we can avail of opportunities for organ donation when they arise.

Work on scoping the parameters of legislation for a Human Tissue Bill is currently being undertaken in my Department. It is envisaged that this Bill will provide for an opt-out system of consent for organ donation. Under the proposed system, consent will be deemed unless the person has, while alive, registered his/her wish not to become an organ donor after death. However, it is proposed that, even though consent is deemed, the next-of-kin will always be consulted prior to removing any organ ("soft" opt-out system). The aim is to make organ donation the norm in situations where the opportunity arises.