Local Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has said that he supports the recall of the Dáil to address the organ transplant issue.

Crowe, an organ card carrier, signed a letter today calling on the Ceann Comhairle, Seán Barrett, to recall the Dáil to discuss European legislation on the issue.

Crowe believes there is a need for legislation that would make it easier to opt in for an organ donation and to create a single authority to handle organ donations. Any change would require annulling the current legislation before August 27th, because it cannot be repealed after that date and for that to happen, 55 TDs would have to petition the Ceann Comhairle to recall the Dáil.

Deputy Seán Crowe said;

“Given the inadequate nature of the government’s implementation of the EU Regulation on organ donation and the manner in which the regulation was handled by the government, my Sinn Féin TD colleagues and I are supporting the call for a recall of the Dáil to debate the matter and to demand more progressive legislation.

“Our Senators supported the recall of the Seanad and this is a natural progression of that process. It should be noted that on May 1st the Dáil, with the agreement of the government, unanimously adopted a motion calling on the government to ‘immediately devise and implement a multi-pronged approach aimed at improving donation services’.

“It is right that the Minister for Health should be held to account on this matter, given the large number of people waiting for transplants and on dialysis.

“There is an urgent need to greatly improve the infrastructure for the provision of transplants, as shown at hearings held by the Oireachtas Health & Children Committee earlier this year.

“Anything that increases the availability of life changing organs to those on the waiting list has my full support.”

ENDS