Today, 17 June 2025, the Human Tissue Act 2024 was enacted. The Act creates an opt-out register for any adult in Ireland who does not wish their organs to be donated for transplantation after death. From today, every adult will be considered an organ donor when they die, unless they opt out on the HSE opt-out register or are in one of the excluded groups. The Act also gives greater clarity for altruistic organ donation.

Organ donation saves and transforms lives. Kidney transplantation is a key therapy for people with cystinosis, improving and prolonging quality of life. This Act has the potential to change the lives of people in our community. Last year, 263 organ transplants took place, including 84 from deceased people and 30 from living donors. The majority were kidney donations.

The change in Irish law means, that if you are an adult, you will now be considered a potential organ donor when you die unless you opt out on the HSE opt-out register or are in one of the excluded groups. If you do not wish to become a donor, you can choose to opt out.

It is important to note that a deceased person's family or next of kin will always be consulted if they have not opted out. Talk to your loved ones about your wishes on organ donation.

More information is available about what the changes to the law means on the HSE website - www.hse.ie/organdonation, and on YouTube