Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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887. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the address is needed for the opt out register of the organ donation scheme (details supplied). [34339/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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888. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who have registered their opt out register of the organ donation scheme in the first week of the portal going live. [34340/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Part 2 of the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024, which commenced on 17 June 2025, provides for the first time a national legislative framework for organ donation and transplant services in Ireland.

Under the legislation, all adults in Ireland are considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate on the Relevant Organ Donation Opt-Out Register or are in one of the excluded groups. It is important to reassure people that family members will always be consulted before any action is taken. This is commonly referred to as a soft opt-out system of organ donation.

Most people in Ireland are in favour of organ donation, and the new system changes the default assumption to one that matches the prevailing public attitude regarding organ donation. Meanwhile, the Register is intended to ensure that a person’s right to autonomy, self-determination and bodily integrity is respected.

The wishes of those on the Register will be respected in full, and their family will not be approached on the issue of organ donation. This objection applies to the relevant organs under the Act, namely, the liver, lung, pancreas, heart or kidney.

The Health Service Executive has responsibility for maintaining the Register. I have been informed by the HSE that, as of 12pm on Friday 20 June 2025, 29,394 persons have registered their objection to becoming an organ donor.