202 organ transplants completed in Ireland in 2025 – HSE

ODTI reports 97 donors supported 202 organ transplants up to 29 December and urges people to discuss their wishes with family.

·       ODTI reports 202 transplants in 2025 (up to Monday, 29 December 2025).

·       Donation involved 68 deceased donors and 29 living donors (97 donors in total).

·       Transplant totals reported by ODTI: 140 kidney, 9 heart, 15 lung, 33 liver and 5 pancreas (total 202).

·       ODTI says donor numbers were down on previous years, but none of the potential donors were on the opt-out register.

The HSE’s Organ Donation Transplant Ireland Office (ODTI) has reported that 202 organ transplants were carried out in Ireland in 2025, supported by 68 deceased donors and 29 living donors, up to Monday 29 December. ODTI said donor families’ decisions continue to enable life-saving and life-transforming care, and urged the public to talk to loved ones about organ donation wishes.

ODTI’s figures show 97 donors (68 deceased and 29 living) supported 202 transplants in 2025. ODTI’s reported transplant totals for the year were: 140 kidney, 9 heart, 15 lung, 33 liver and 5 pancreas transplants.

Dr Catherine Motherway (ODTI) thanked donors and families and said the offer of an organ may be life-saving for recipients. She reiterated that it remains important to tell family members your wishes so they can help ensure they are honoured if you die unexpectedly, and noted that living donation can include donating a kidney to someone you do not know personally.

HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said he wanted to express gratitude to donors and their families, and also thanked “medical, nursing, and HSE staff” whose expertise made the transplants possible. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the introduction of the Human Tissue Act’s soft opt-out system was a significant moment for organ donation and transplantation services, and encouraged the public to have the conversation with family.

ODTI said the Human Tissue Act Part 2 introduced a “soft opt-out” system of consent for organ donation in 2025, while emphasising that consent remains central and that it is still a personal choice whether to be an organ donor. The HSE’s organ donation guidance notes that next of kin are consulted before any action is taken, and that people who do not wish to donate can add their name to the organ donation opt-out register.

Dr Motherway said the number of organ donors in 2025 was down on previous years and added that none of the potential organ donors this year had their names on the opt-out register. ODTI again urged people to talk to family members, because families may be asked to support donation decisions in difficult, time-critical circumstances.

ODTI said some donated organs do not have a suitable match in Ireland, and where possible they may be offered to other countries so that the donor’s gift can still benefit a recipient. The HSE described this as reciprocal, with Irish patients also receiving organs from outside Ireland, particularly the UK for some paediatric transplant operations.