Organ Donation becomes Opt Out from June

Mine would be useless to anyone anyway due to all the various diseases I have. Apart from my corneas!

I hope the opt out register is online and fully operational by the enactment of the new legislation. Preferably even before, in case of bugs. Otherwise the changes should be delayed until it is.

Call me a cynic, but I don't trust the Government or HSE to deliver this efficiently.

The ability to opt out of the register register your decision to opt out (Christ that is genuinely confusing!) will be online on the HSE website, going live with the commencement of that part of the Act -

A new law called the Human Tissue Act 2024 will be in place soon. It will introduce an opt-out system of consent for organ donation from 17 June 2025.

This means you can add your name to an opt-out register if you do not want to be an organ donor. If you are on the opt-out register, your next of kin will not be asked about organ donation.

The opt-out register is not in place yet. We will update this page with information on the opt-out register when it's available in June.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/organ-donation/

It’s sounds trivial, but even I’m struggling with the concept that Government have upended the ideas of donation and consent - both of which mean something which is given freely and without coercion, not something which another entity assumes ownership over because it serves their interests. I’m struggling to imagine how organ donation can be portrayed in a positive light when legislation prescribes that by default, it isn’t a choice. I don’t know that many people actually have thought about it until they’re faced with the prospect of being forced to think about it and give it serious consideration. Registration to have to say no is a hell of a way to start a conversation that in my experience people are generally very uncomfortable having and would rather not have if they didn’t have to.

In my case, I have had the conversations with my family members. They know my wishes and I know theirs, and we will act accordingly. Some are yes, some are no to organ donation, some have medical conditions which preclude them.

I will be ensuring all in my immediate family are fully aware of the opt-out register the second it is online.

For the record, I am not against organ donation. I am against assumed consent to organ donation.

This is why.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78jd517z87o

They can have my penis. It would be a huge waste otherwise.

Leave my eyes, ears and tongue. Take the rest and feed it to the gulls for all I care. I'll have my consciousness uploaded to a robot anyway.

Don't know if you meant it or not but well done on the creepy Event Horizon quote.

Some country… “ we are going to have your organs unless you specifically make an effort to prevent us from doing so by completing some legal paperwork in time before your demise.. ”

Why would we be surprised of course when we have politicians advocating stuff like bedroom taxes and various other property downsizing ‘incentives’ …actively trying to force people out of what is theirs , what they have and own…Was a time just taxing people on earnings was enough but now they are after your property, savings, and your organs.

Only good news is they haven’t much else to be going after.

Ok, I would have thought it was well known before this.

I believe a number of large charities and medical organisations have been advocating it for the past decade or so and have definitely seen it in the media over the past number of years.

As I said, I think it's a great thing. And if someone feels strongly enough about not doing it, it's a a fairly simple way to opt out.

It may have been touched on already but I guess from a cold/clinical and perhaps libertarian POV, one could argue that an opt out scheme kind of feels like the Government own you/your body from cradle to grave, which isn't a nice thought.

However, I think the bigger issue for a lot of people over the years was that signing up for organ donation makes one think of our mortality.

I do ultimately think that this opt out scheme is the better option though.
I've lost count of the number of times that friends/family has said, I must sign up for organ donation but they never actually get around to it.

If the government is that all powerful then doesn’t it have the same ability to take your organs if you haven’t consented in the current system?