Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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738. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ratify the Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35957/18]

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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739. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs has not been ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35958/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 738 and 739 together.

Ireland signed the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs on 8 October 2015, and thereby signaled its intention to adhere to the provisions pending the development of the necessary legislation to give effect to the Convention.

Ireland will only be in a position to ratify the Convention when the necessary legislation is in place. The General Scheme of a Human Tissue Bill is being finalised at present and will be submitted to Government for approval shortly. This proposed legislation will, among other things, prohibit the commercialisation of human organs and tissue for transplantation and the trafficking of organs for transplantation.

In addition, the European Union (Quality and Safety of Human Organs intended for Transplantation) Regulations 2012 which transpose Directive 2010/53/EU provide that a person who procures or sells, including brokering the procurement or sale, for exchange of money or value an organ contrary to the Regulations and the Directive, is guilty of an offence.