The emphasis of my Department and HSE Organ Donation Transplantation Ireland (ODTI) is on endeavouring to ensure that we avail of all opportunities for organ donation. In 2016, at total of 280 organ transplants were carried out, the second highest annual performance achieved to date. The Living Kidney Donor Programme reached a milestone of 50 living donor transplants for the first time last year.
It is a reality of organ donation and transplantation that the number of deceased donations will always fluctuate. At the same time, our overall aim is to continue to increase donations and transplantation rates.