Proposed new legislation on organ donation in Northern Ireland will reduce the number of people waiting for life-saving transplant operations, the health minister has told the Assembly.
Robin Swann introduced the second stage of the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill at Stormont today, which would mean adults are automatically placed on the donor list unless they opt out.
The rest of the UK has an opt-out system already in place.
However, the Assembly was also warned that a DUP threat to collapse the powersharing institutions over the Northern Ireland Protocol could threaten the bill's progress.
Introducing the proposed legislation, Mr Swann said: "It has been long-awaited by all who are involved in the organ donation process. There have been many challenges and delays in bringing this bill forward, however the strong public support for this bill can leave no doubt that this is the right time to make a real difference to people's lives in Northern Ireland.
"I acknowledge that there are a range of views within and outside the clinical community which must be fully respected and engaged with as part of the ongoing engagement.
"This bill will mean that adults in Northern Ireland will be considered potential donors unless they choose to opt out or are excluded. Around 115 people in Northern Ireland are on the transplant waiting list and every year around 10-15 people in Northern Ireland die waiting on an organ transplant.
"This bill will help to reduce the number of people waiting for life-saving transplants."
Mr Swann added: "The main policy objective is to increase the current rate of consent in the small number of cases in which it is clinically possible for organ donation to proceed after a person's death. Doing so will increase the overall number of donors and ultimately the number of life-saving organs considered for transplantation.
"Under the new law being an organ donor will still be your choice. Organ donation will remain a priceless gift."
Sinn Féin health spokesman Colm Gildernew said the bill had the potential "to save the lives of our families, our loved ones and our friends".
He added: "It is regrettable there was a delay to bringing the bill forward from the DUP and also I think it is hugely regrettable that the threat to this Assembly could impact on the outworking of this bill and of bringing this bill forward."
During the debate, tributes were paid to those who have campaigned for the change in law, including the family of four-year-old Dáithí MacGabhann and former Ulster Unionist MLA Joanne Dobson.
Earlier, the father of a young boy who has been waiting more than 1,200 days for a new heart has said it would be a travesty if Stormont collapsed before new laws on organ donation are introduced.
Mairtin MacGabhann said getting a new heart is the last chance for his four-year-old son Dáithí, who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
MLAs are due to debate a major change of Northern Ireland's organ donation rules today.
Proposed new legislation would mean people automatically become donors unless they opt out.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where the opt-out system is not already in place.
A decision by the DUP in June to support the new legislation meant that it looked set to pass through Stormont before the Assembly is dissolved ahead of elections next May.
But recently, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has threatened to collapse the powersharing institutions within weeks due to opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
This has led to fears among campaigners that there would not then be enough time to pass the bill before the institutions fall.
Mr MacGabhann told the PA news agency: "We are delighted that it has got to this stage where the elected representatives can now discuss it. Our hopes are that the politicians will be all supportive because we think it is the right thing to do.
"There can be no more delays to this potential legislation. We feel that this potential law change is another step in normalising organ donation in society. If you look at the countries around us, we are last to the party. But we are there now and hopefully it will get over the line."
Asked about the potential threat to the Stormont institutions, Mr MacGabhann said: "We have no control over that and if it were to collapse we would be the first people knocking on the door again, like we were when Stormont resumed last time.
"But that doesn't mean we wouldn't be absolutely heartbroken.
"What I would say to the politicians who are maybe considering collapsing Stormont is we understand there are other important issues, but we believe the best way to solve them is through Stormont in the democratic process so that it continues to operate and life-saving legislation has the best chance of getting through.
"We can't wait any longer because it will take time for this bill to come into effect, there would be a year's awareness campaign and then it would take time to settle in.
"Imagine having to wait another couple of years to get to the stage that we are at now, it would be a travesty. It would be heartbreaking.
"We have no control over it and we are just hoping for a positive response because organ donation and transplantation is the last resort. It happens when all other avenues have been exhausted.
"Imagine the person you love most in the world had a better chance because of this going through, to us it is just a no-brainer.
"My son's last chance is to get a new heart."
