Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill
Ministry of Health
Block 1
Miesian Plaza
50-58 Lower Bagot Street
D02 XW14
June 10, 2025
Re: Human Tissue Law 2025
Dear Minister Carol McNeill,
ICCL welcomes the move to aligning Ireland with best practices in organ donation. More than a decade after public consultations on the issue, the launch of the Human Organization Act of 2024 on June 17th will guide you through the much-anticipated framework that embeds the principle of consent in the donation process.
However, we feel that the new framework is not fully understood by the general public. This indicates that the relevant media campaigns are not reaching a wide enough audience. It is important that there is a broad understanding of the opt-out system and registration, the elements of consent and choice, the role of designated families, and the safety measures in place.
We understand that guidelines will be developed for designated families, and coupled with extensive information campaigns in accessible English and other languages, this suggests that these should be published as soon as possible. Furthermore, it is essential to provide the public with information about who to contact if you have questions and if such queries are answered promptly. Finally, we recommend that you consider an independent review of the new system within a defined time frame to ensure that information reaches people and that the new system is fully understood.
Trust and confidence in such new frameworks comes from the public only because they are fully informed of their choices and know that those choices are respected.
Sincerely,
