Organ Donation and Transplant Numbers Decline in Ireland as Pressure on Kidney Services Intensifies

Ireland recorded a significant decline in organ donation and transplant activity in 2025, with preliminary figures showing just 202 total transplants compared to 263 in 2024. The Irish Kidney Association is calling for urgent investment in prevention services and transplantation infrastructure as nearly 700 people remain on organ transplant waiting lists.

New figures published by the Organ Donation Transplant Ireland Office (ODTI) of the HSE today reveal that deceased organ donors fell to 68 in 2025, down from 84 in 2024 and well below the five-year pre-pandemic average of 85 donors.

Total transplants from deceased organ donation dropped to 173 in 2025, compared to 233 in 2024. Kidney transplants were particularly affected, falling from 145 to 111 from deceased donors, while living donor kidney transplants decreased slightly from 30 to 29.

The decline comes as the number of people requiring dialysis continues to rise dramatically. At the end of 2024, 2,581 people were on dialysis in Ireland, more than three times the 821 people receiving dialysis treatment in 2000. Dialysis is already costing the HSE more than €300 million per year.

Chronic Kidney Disease affects approximately one in ten of the general population in Ireland and is on course to be the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2040. Almost 80% of the nearly 700 people on organ transplant waiting lists require a kidney transplant.

Organ Donation & Transplantation Activity (Ireland) 2021-2025

*16 lung transplants were carried out due to one being imported.

In June 2025, Part 2 (Transplantation) of the Human Tissue Act (2024) commenced, introducing an opt-out register, altruistic living kidney donation and other protocols for the safe management of organ donation for transplantation. The legislation provides a foundation upon which to build a service that can see Ireland return to the upper tier of countries in Europe for transplantation.

The Irish Kidney Association expressed gratitude to organ donors and their families, whose extraordinary generosity continues to give the gift of life to others, and acknowledged the dedication of transplant coordinators, surgeons and all healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to make transplantation possible.

Successful kidney transplantation offers patients dramatically improved quality of life, better long-term health outcomes and is significantly more cost-effective than long-term dialysis treatment. There is an average of €1.62 million saving per patient over the average lifespan of a kidney transplant. Yet Ireland's current decline in transplant numbers means more patients are facing years on dialysis while waiting for a life-changing transplant.

The IKA is calling for urgent action in four key areas: publication of the complete HSE Internal Review outlined in the Medical Independent report of 17 December 2023, and development of a formal strategy to quantify requirements for transplantation services; funding to develop national organ donation and transplant services in areas such as living donation and the use of extended criteria donors; expansion of the current NOCA Potential Donor Audit beyond the six hospitals currently being measured to include all hospitals with potential for organ donation; and implementation of the government's commitment to add Chronic Kidney Disease to the Chronic Disease Management Programme being delivered in primary care.

Early identification and effective management of kidney disease can slow or prevent progression to end-stage renal failure, reducing the number of people who will require dialysis or transplant.

The Irish Kidney Association encourages families to take the opportunity over the holiday season to discuss organ donation and make sure they know each other's wishes. For organ donor cards, including a digital version that can be saved in your phone wallet, visit www.ika.ie/donorcard.