I thank the Minister for attending here this evening. I requested this debate in the hope of creating further public awareness of the problem of organ donation and transplantation. Most people I am sure will be aware of some acquaintance who has a medical problem that can only be cured by transplantation. Indeed, in Athlone two friends of mine are on a dialysis machine, one of them is on a home dialysis machine and the other travels three times a week to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for his dialysis. Another acquaintance who lives in south Roscommon, in the Minister's constituency, also travels with that person to Dublin three times a week. What all of those people have in common is the aspiration for a new lease of life in the form of a kidney transplant.
Over the past 30 years we have been fortunate to have developed a very fine transplantation programme for heart transplants, liver transplants and, best of all, for kidney transplants. In addition to these more well-known types of transplants is the cornea transplant programme which has restored vision to many people. The kidney transplant programme, which is the largest in the long-established programme in Ireland, brings new life and vigour to those who were previously living with the strain associated with renal dialysis. Benefits also, of course, accrue to the family and friends of those who receive kidney transplants and, through restored health, to the country at large. None of these benefits could possibly accrue without the generosity and spirit of unselfishness which the donors and their relatives domonstrate in a manner which is seldom excelled in the field of altruism.
The abilities of our health services and the professional staff who work in the service to adapt and apply the benefits of the newest and proven technologies and therapies must also be valued and praised. The success of the transplant service is very much dependent on the availability of donated organs from those who die. It must clearly be a demonstrated wish on the part of each of us to be an organ donor by carrying a kidney donor card or a multi-organ donor card. I understand that 75 kidney transplants were carried out last year. There are 180 persons awaiting kidney transplants and this number is growing each year through a growth in the population requiring dialysis and the lack of suitable organs available for those awaiting transplantation.
The numbers who might benefit from heart transplants are quite small at present. About 12 persons might benefit from such transplants. A similar position pertains in the area of potential liver transplants. Obviously smaller numbers do not in any way lessen the desirability of or the need for an enhanced number of suitable organs being available to meet these needs.
The development of a cornea transplant bank in Dublin is a further example of how we are keeping to the forefront in adapting technology to our needs. Such a programme is most welcome and will be of enormous benefit to those 250 persons who at the moment could benefit from such a transplant. However, the number of corneas available for transplant is limited and even more donors are needed.
Ireland is fortunate in having very active voluntary movements who do excellent work in publicising the benefits that can be derived from people carrying organ donor cards. The success which they have achieved can be measured by the fact that there are 1.5 million carriers of those donor cards. This achievement is remarkable by the standards of any country and is indicative of their ability to ensure that the benefits which can be given through transplantation are understood by the general public. What is now happening is that people who had kidney donor cards in the past are now holders of multi-donor cards — a development which will, I am sure prove very helpful, particularly in the area of cornea transplants. The multi-donor cards were recently launched with tremendous publicity and great assistance from the Minister for Health and important people in the public domain.
In dealing with the issue of organ donations there is great need to ensure that the most up-to-date information is readily available to the national transplantation centre. I understand that while we have a transplant co-ordinator for the kidney transplant programme, we do not have any formal national co-ordinating arrangements for the transplantation of all organs. This is something the Minister might consider reviewing with a view to realising the benefit which would be attainable by the establishment of a national service dealing with all organ transplantations. I know that we have developed good links with our English counterparts. These have proved to be of great benefit in that any organs available for transplant which may become available which are not fit for Irish recipients can be made available throughout England and vice versa. The Minister might see whether we could expand the benefits from this inter-country operation on a wider basis throughout Europe.
It is important that we encourage people to carry donor cards and, in particular, that we ensure that the relatives of those who have died are aware of the benefits that can be given to other ill persons, even at a time of great stress and great trauma. One of the concerns which might be expressed about the scheme is that the wishes of the individual might not be carried out. While a person may well wish to donate organs we depend on the relatives of such a person to ensure that their wishes are carried out. It is in this context that it might be desirable for the Minister to consider the establishment of some centralised type of register on which everyone's wishes would be recorded. Perhaps it is time to firm up this aspect of organ donation on a legislative basis.
The question of organ donation must be kept before the public. It is desirable that the benefits and the use that can be made of organs should be centrally publicised in order to ensure that everyone understands the opportunities which are offered to mankind by organ donation. Indeed, it is absolutely essential that the programme which the Irish Kidney Association and the Fight for Sight Campaign have established should be supported fully and perhaps added to by the activities of the health promotion unit of the Department of Health. We should continue to provide appropriate information to the members of the various professions involved in dealing with this issue and keep it updated on a regular basis.
Perhaps the Minister might consider establishing a permanent campaign to promote the donation of organs and also look at the information type campaigns directed at the public. In the short term, I suggest that the Minister might consider writing to each of the eight health boards and requesting them to discuss this problem. In that way there would be immediate debate with the members present at the meetings and in turn the press would take it up so that, in one swoop, every provincial newspaper would write about this problem, thus creating the type of awareness I am looking for and to which we all aspire. This would have beneficial effects down the line because it would go from the health board staff to the nurses to the medical personnel of the various health boards.
I acknowledge the debt of gratitude we owe to all those who carry organ donor cards and to the families of those who give their consent for the use of organs at a difficult time for the betterment of mankind. I hope this debate will encourage those who do not carry an organ donor card to do so from now on and so ensure that the supply of suitable organs is increased for those vital lifesaving transplants.