'Very proud day' says Dáithi's family as organ donation bill comes to Westminster
The father of six-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí MacGabhann said it was a "very emotional" day for the family as a new organ donation law looks set to progress through the House of Commons.
The family travelled to Westminster ahead of the reading of the Executive Formation Bill which is to be amended to bring in the new opt-out law.
Dáithi has been waiting for a heart transplant since 2018. The family have campaigned tirelessly for the law to introduce an opt-out system for organ donation.
Máirtin MacGabhann said it was a "very proud day" for his family.
"The victory of this is finally sinking in, I don't think it's gonna sink in for a couple of years maybe but we're here, we're outside Westminster we're going in soon and hopefully to hear the victory that is Dáithi's law, the amendment being taken.
"We've met with the Secretary of State this morning and it's a very different meeting from that in Hillsborough. There was celebration in the air and we're just delighted and beyond proud."
"We're just delighted and beyond proud of Dáithi and beyond proud of ourselves and looking forward to now, for Dáithi's law to be implemented and for the life-saving to begin.
"Yesterday we were in Evelina Hospital just across the way and that's where Dáithi's life was saved many times six years ago.
"So I think it's only fitting that six years down the line we're across the river where life saving legislation is going to be implemented through Dáithi's law."
The government's decision to progress the stalled legislation on opt-out donation system comes amidst the political impasse at Stormont.
The opt-out system, which already operates in the rest of the UK, would mean adults in Northern Ireland would be presumed to be donors, unless they take a decision to opt out.
It is aimed at increasing organ donation rates in the region.
Mr MacGabhann said he expected the Bill to get Royal Assent on March 6 with Daithi's Law in place for early summer.
Last week, a bid to restore the Assembly to pass the law failed when the DUP again exercised its veto to prevent the election of a speaker, meaning no further business could be conducted.
Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Heaton-Harris said he was taking the "exceptional step" of progressing the legislation at Westminster following cross-party support for the plight of Daithi. The Government Bill will also delay the requirement for the formation of an executive at Stormont until January 18 next year and delay an Assembly election to April 11 at the latest.
The government said the additional time would allow the Stormont parties "to focus attention on restoring devolved institutions" as well as providing space for continued UK/EU dialogue over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The DUP collapsed the devolved executive a year ago in protest at the post-Brexit protocol and the party has made it clear it will not lift its block on power-sharing until radical changes are made to the contentious Irish Sea trading arrangements.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: "The people of Northern Ireland deserve to have a fully functioning devolved Government working on the important issues impacting them and achieving this remains my top priority.
"This Bill creates the time and space needed to focus attention on restoring Stormont and for UK/EU negotiations to reach a solution on the NI Protocol that meets the needs of people across Northern Ireland.
"The Bill will also see the installation of an 'opt-out' organ donation system.
"While this exceptional intervention by the Government is welcome and important, I am disappointed the decision was not taken by locally elected decision-makers in the NI Assembly.
"I will continue to do everything I can to support the parties to come together as soon as possible in the interests of those who elected them."
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