Joe Brolly’s campaign for reform
Senator Conway supports Joe Brolly’s campaign to change the relevant system and asks the Leader to establish when the Government may adopt the proposed reform.
I welcome Ms Jody Blake back and it is great to see her. We were inquiring for her all the time she was away. Thank God, it is a sunny day and she is back. I would like to pass on my sympathy to Senator Eamonn Coghlan, as I did personally this morning at the mass. We all got a great shock at Senator Jimmy Harte's accident. We are all praying for him. I have no doubt Jimmy has huge strength of character and spirit and that he will make a recovery. We just hope it is speedy.
When I came back last night, I watched a very good documentary on Joe Brolly and his campaign for a change in the system of organ donation. He made an extremely powerful and compelling documentary, which in turn has made an extremely powerful and compelling case. My understanding is that the Oireachtas health committee has unanimously endorsed the campaign and that it has been accepted in Northern Ireland. I would like to know the Government's position on it. Every day there is a delay in adopting the policy is a day too long. We need to see action in this area. What Joe Brolly has done for organ donation in this country is phenomenal. I was most disappointed at the position of the Irish Kidney Association. What Joe Brolly and his colleagues are doing is extremely positive.
Comment on this
We had a full debate on it during the summer.
Comment on this
It behoves us all to endorse, encourage and support it. I would like the Leader, using his good offices, to establish what kind of timeframe we are looking at in order to get an answer from the Government, in particular the Minister for Health, as to when the change Joe Brolly is seeking will become Government policy.