Council to lobby Minister to restart funding for organ donation campaigns

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council approved a motion calling on Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to u-turn on his decision to pause public campaigns within his department.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Daithi’s father Mairtin Mac Gabhann said: “I’m delighted that the motion passed in Lisburn and Castlereagh, Daithi is ‘buzzing’.

“I would just like to stress the importance of having the conversation with family around organ donation as it could save a life, this campaign is bigger than politics.”

Daithi’s Law introduced on June 1, 2023, changed Northern Ireland’s organ donation to an ‘opt out’ model whereby adults are considered potential organ donors unless they choose not to be.

However, in 2024 a planned burst of public awareness campaigns was cancelled by Minister Nesbitt due to budget pressures within his department.

Bringing forward the motion, Councillor Declan Lynch said: “I am deeply concerned by the decision to pause funding for public information and awareness campaigns around organ donation by the Health Minister.

“Now is not the time to scale back public engagement. Now is the time to strengthen it.

“This is something that means an awful lot to me.

“I’ve known Mairtin, Daithi’s father for many many years and have known Daithi and been involved in various different aspects of the campaign.

“I have seen first hand the strength and determination of their family to ensure Daithi and others like him are given the best possible chance of receiving a new heart.

“Daithi has been a fighter from birth and is still fighting at nine years of age.

“Daithi is now over 2,900 days on the waiting list for a new heart and has recently been moved on to the urgent donor list.

“He’s still fighting, he’s still smiling.”

The motion in Lisburn has also highlighted another campaign to support organ donations. Fionntan Mac Garvey, an engineering student at Queen’s University, was involved in an assault outside a bar on Finaghy Road North in the early hours of December 27, 2021 and later died in hospital in January 2022.

A simple conversation with his father while filling out his driving licence forms meant that he was able to save two people’s lives through the donation of his kidneys.

Councillor Lynch added: “I also want to use this opportunity to highlight the ‘We Are Donors Fionntan’ campaign set up by the family and friends of young Gael Fionntan Mac Garvey (18) who died in 2022.

“This is a student-led campaign set up to ensure awareness around organ donation continues and Fionntan’s legacy lives on.

“I want to urge the Health Minister to reverse this decision and reinstate funding for these vital campaigns immediately.

“We need to use every method possible to continue to raise awareness and speak about organ donation and that is why it is of utmost importance for the health minister to reverse his decision to suspend funding.”

The LDRS contacted the Department of Health for comment.

The Minister has previously supported organ donation as a ”lifesaving gift” stating: “It is essential that we do everything we can to encourage and facilitate it.”