Two weeks ago we had organ donor awareness week when we heard the good news that in 2017, 308 successful transplants were carried out thanks to the generosity of 98 individuals and their families. However, there are many people on the transplant waiting list and time is running out for them. We know that the greatest possible act of generosity is the donation of organs following a sudden death. Page 57 of the programme for Government refers to the setting up of an opt out register for organ donation before the end of 2017. The report of the public consultation on this matter was published in 2017, with support for such a register from a very large majority of people. When can we expect legislation to be enacted to put such an opt out register in place?

A record number of transplants were performed in Ireland last year. As the Deputy knows, for the first time more than 300 transplants were performed. I want to pay tribute to the extraordinary staff in our hospitals who made that possible and of course, to the people who donated their organs and their families. It is intended that we will have the heads of the Bill this month or next month at the latest. Obviously, the legislative timeframe is not under my control but we will have the heads by then, certainly.