Departmental Data

Thursday, 18 December 2025

Questions (748)

Cathal Crowe

Question:

748. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health whether the independent panel, as required under the Human Tissue Act 2024, has been created; if so who the members of this panel are; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73729/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

The Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024 is a composite piece of legislation that includes provisions around donation and transplantation of organs, tissues, and cells, post-mortem practice and procedures, anatomical examination, and public display of bodies after death.

Crucially, it embeds in legislation the idea that consent is the defining principle across all these sensitive areas. Part 2 of the Human Tissue Act 2024, which commenced on 17 June 2025, provides for the first time a national legislative framework for organ donation and transplantation services in Ireland. One of the new features provided for under Part 2 of the Act is the establishment of an independent panel to authorise living donation of organs, tissues and cells in scenarios which involve non-directed altruistic living donation of organs by adults, living donation of tissues and cells by adults who lack capacity, and living donation of tissues and cells by children under the age of 18.

The purpose of the Panel is to provide additional safeguards to protect the potential donor, to ensure that donation is being entered into voluntarily and without duress or coercion. The Panel will assess applications to ensure that the conditions, including those around consent and medical need, are met and that no payment or non-financial inducements have been given to the donor.

The Panel has not yet been established. My Department is actively considering approaches for its establishment. Every effort is being made to ensure that the Independent Panel is established in a timely manner, while ensuring that it is set up for success by having the relevant prerequisites in place to enable it to operate effectively.