Over 280 organ transplants were carried out in Ireland this year, an increase of 32 compared to last year.
The figures released by the Health Service Executive show a return to pre-pandemic levels.
The Organ Donation Transplant Ireland Office said there were 30 living organ donors and 95 deceased.
Kidney transplants accounted for 191 of the total number along with 54 liver transplants.
There were also 24 lung, six pancreas and seven heart transplants carried out during the year.
In a statement, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to those donors, families, and dedicated staff who made these transplants possible.
"We must also remember that sadly some patients do and will die each year while waiting for a transplant, and at any one time, around 500 people are waiting for a transplant.
"I encourage everyone to talk to your loved ones about organ donation to make your intentions known. It is important for them to know your wishes, to help them should they have to make a decision in a time of great sadness and loss.
"Having that conversation also ensures wherever possible the loss of one precious life can be turned to benefit many others through donation."
Clinical Lead for Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland in the HSE Dr Catherine Motherway also thanked the donors and their families.
Dr Motherway said: "It is sometimes hard to convey our gratitude to our donors. The gift of life given during a time of grief and loss is humbling.
"The generosity of our donors both living and deceased and their families transforms the lives of our transplant recipients. Organ donation and transplantation saves and changes lives."
An average of 500 people are on organ transplant waiting lists.
Michelle Geraghty, from Salthill in Galway, knows what the anxious wait for a compatible donor is like.
She was diagnosed with genetic condition polycystic kidney disease and reached end stage kidney failure when her baby was six months old.
She began peritoneal dialysis at home for eight hours a day, seven nights a week.
"I was attached to a machine and there was physical issues with it, there is no freedom when on this machine at night."
She recalls when her then two-year-old son, Dylan was waking up at night crying and she could not go to him.
"It was heartbreaking at the time, feeling like I wasn't the Mom I wanted to be," she said.
She was waiting for two and half years on the waiting list after an initial delay due to Covid.
"I got the call in August 2022 to say there was a kidney for me, statistically I've been hard to match."
Ms Geraghty says she is eternally grateful to her donor's family.
"If my donor's family hadn't made the decision to donate, who knows how long I would have been wating, it could have been three or another 5 years".
Michelle says: "It has made a massive, massive difference to my life and to the life of my family."
She said "my son is now 5, I can't imagine how it would have been if I was still waiting, having a healthy Mom now means everything to our family".
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
John Burns family has experiences both sides of organ donation.
He said his brother Patrick's life was extended by up to 19 years after a successful liver transplant.
This influenced his older brother, Robert who donated three organs when he died.
"When he passed on, he donated both kidneys and his liver so one person gave Patrick a chance at life, which worked, and Robert then gave three other people the chance of life, which also worked."
John is encouraging people to consider donating their organs, to give others the gift of life, and tell their family what their intentions are.
The Irish Kidney Association has welcomed the increase in organ transplants in 2023, thanking all those involved saying the "positive impact of their actions extends beyond organ recipients to families, communities, and society at large".
The IKA says it is essential not to limit ambitions based solely on a year-to-year comparison with over 500 individuals and families still awaiting life-transforming transplants.
Its CEO Carol Moore said: "Organ Donation is not only about healthcare. The act of organ donation is an act of kindness, civic responsibility and community solidarity. This wonderful act has a ripple effect, inspiring others to think and act on behalf of their community."
The organisation said a robust public awareness campaign around the Human Tissue Bill is vital for its effective implementation.
