Have the conversation about organ donation today – Boyle

A drop in organ donations has brought into sharp focus the need for greater public awareness around donation,  a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Manus Boyle said as this is Organ Donor Awareness week, its importance to recognise the life-changing impact transplants have on donors, recipients, and their families.

“It’s so important that people across Ireland have the conversation with their families about their wishes when it comes to organ donation,” he said.

“The Irish Kidney Association has highlighted that organ donation has fallen to its lowest level in five years, with 202 transplants carried out last year. This is deeply concerning, particularly when more than 650 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in Ireland.

“Behind this figure are real people waiting to get that life changing call. My own wife has been waiting five years for a transplant and I see firsthand what she has to go through every day with gruelling rounds of dialysis, taken on with no complaint. This scenario is replicated in families around Ireland and can feel relentless and sometimes without any prospect of changing.  But the hope of a new organ keeps them going.

“Since June 2025, people are assumed to have consented to organ donation unless they have registered their opt-out, but it is still vital to have these conversations amongst families.

“Family members will always be consulted before any action is taken, and the wishes of the deceased should be central to this decision.

“Talking about it can be uncomfortable, but it will make it easier for your family to make this decision should they find themselves in this situation at what will inevitably be a difficult and tragic time.

“Organ donation is life changing for recipients and their families. Everyone should think about it, talk about it openly, and share your wishes with your families.

“Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt, have the conversation about organ donation,” Senator Boyle urged.