Kilkenny and Ireland East MEP, Mairead McGuinness is encouraging individuals to think about donating their organs.
McGuinness was speaking this week after meeting with Cystic Fibrosis Ireland in Brussels in the European Parliament, to highlight the need for organ donation during the first European Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week, involving 33 countries.
She said that committing to organ donation was a very selfless act. “It forces you to ask the question, what if, and then make a conscious effort to assist others, enabling them to have their lives prolonged,” she said.
She continued with the point that the State must play its part with a national donor registry and in giving people reassurance around the issue.
“While there has been much talk about the setting up of a national organ donor registry it has not happened to date. The sooner it does the better, there is no rational reason why it should be further delayed,” she said.
“The Human Tissue Bill regulating the removal, retention, storage, use, and disposal of human tissue from those who die, and also consent for the use of donated tissue, will assist greatly in reassuring people and give confidence that the bad practices of the past are behind us for good.”
McGuinness concluded by saying that anyone with a driver’s licence could readily opt to become an organ donor by signing the back of his/her driving licence.
