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Daithi MacGabhann Liam McBurney/PA Images

Westminster is set to pass a new organ donation law for NI because Stormont remains deadlocked

The law is named after six-year-old Belfast boy Daithi MacGabhann, who is waiting for a heart transplant.

A BILL EXTENDING the deadline for holding a fresh Assembly election in Northern Ireland and introducing regulations for a new organ donation law is set to pass through the House of Commons.

The UK Government has moved to progress the stalled legislation on the opt-out donation system because the political impasse at Stormont means local Assembly members have been unable to convene to pass the regulations.

The law is named after six-year-old Belfast boy Daithi MacGabhann, who is waiting for a heart transplant.

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill is expected to move through all stages in the House of Commons later.

It will further delay the requirement for the formation of an executive at Stormont until 18 January next year and delay an Assembly election to 11 April at the latest.

The UK Government said the additional time would allow the Stormont parties to “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 clear it will not lift its block on powersharing until radical changes are made to the contentious Irish Sea trading arrangements.

The Bill will also allow regulations to be made regarding the rules for “Daithi’s Law”.

Last week a bid to restore the Assembly to pass the law failed when the DUP once again exercised its veto to prevent the election of a speaker, meaning no further business could be conducted.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris 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 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 being implemented to increase donation rates in the region.

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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    Mute Dan Murphy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:32 PM

    Yes it does, it has McEntee and Foley in it. God help us.

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:45 PM

    @Dan Murphy: Two hard workers well able for the bullies in opposition

    32
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    Mute Darran Macken
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:52 PM

    @Tim Brennan: hard workers? Wow ok

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    Mute Paddy C
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:31 PM

    @Dan Murphy: definitely mc entee is an absolute joke seen her being questioned and she hadn’t a clue how to even answer let alone know the information to which she was minister for.

    39
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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:18 PM

    @Dan Murphy: I’m still trying to get my head around Jennifer Carroll McNeil being made minister for health. The mind boggles as to who thought that was a good idea

    31
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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:59 PM

    @Ger Whelan: Hugo!!

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:49 PM

    @Darran Macken: you know some people can never give credit to women for going about their business effectively without needing to shout and roar across the Dail chamber to get their business done. These two women have been subjected to vile comments but they did their jobs and no can ever say they but they had the guts and bravery to put themselves up for election and both of them got elected so get off the cross.

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:34 PM

    @Paddy C: She was very good in the Students Union debating society!

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    Mute Darth O'Leary
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:50 PM

    @Tim Brennan: “bravery to put themselves forward” Yea right Tim. McEntee was groomed for political office and waltzed into her father’s seat(which became vacant upon his death)with the blessing of FG leader Enda Kenny and was subsequently singled out for preferment her entire political existence. Give me a flippin break

    18
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    Mute David Glynn
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    Jan 30th 2025, 6:42 AM

    @Dan Murphy: just don’t throw Mary Lou into the mix

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jan 30th 2025, 7:59 PM

    @Darth O’Leary: joyous Stand for election get elected well done Helen no one was forced to vote for her

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:45 PM

    A great non-issue to get bogged down in.

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    Mute Darran Macken
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:21 PM

    People have a choice who to vote for, the people choice the numbers not the government, merit of popular opinion for me please.

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    Mute 087 bed
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:53 PM

    @Darran Macken: Correct, The small number that voted, voted for the continued downward spiral of Ireland. Its almost job done at this point.

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:56 PM

    @Darran Macken: A larger number of women went up for election is spite of slagging and whining against them. The voters hesitated to vote for them probably out of mercy that women should be spared the harassment from ……. you know who.

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    Mute Derek Poutch
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    Jan 30th 2025, 11:55 AM

    @Harry Paisley: Ye they hate women so much that there’s a woman in charge of sf in N.Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Harry you plonker.

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    Mute kevin rock
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:59 PM

    What a nonsense.
    Give the jobs to the best candidate ! Like any employer would ffs

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    Mute paulinlavally@gmail.com
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:34 PM

    I don’t hear any outcry at gender imbalance in bin collection

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    Mute J Cronin
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:46 PM

    @paulinlavally@gmail.com: Or in the ESB during storms.

    49
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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:27 PM

    Elect enough ladies first then more can be in Government but women choose to vote men

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    Mute AnthonyK
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:37 PM

    If we go down the route that certain genders etc have to be catered for then democracy is dead. Surely the best person for the job. My manager is female, and she is excellent at her job. Some day, with hard work and persistence, I would like to be just as good as she is. But I would not like it if she were chosen because she was female. She was chosen because she is bloody good. Better then some males I’ve worked to.

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    Mute Patrice Ahern
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:46 PM

    Driver theory couple will be sentenced by “judge” martin nolan tomorrow. God! I wonder what the outcome will be? 1 year suspended sentence? 7? 22 years?? It’ll serve em right.

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    Mute Darran Macken
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:53 PM

    @Patrice Ahern: he sentenced a pensioner for canibas recently, let a pedophile walk free 3 last month, insanity.

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    Mute Paul Soup
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:19 PM

    @Patrice Ahern: and there is no link between immigration and crime, so the lefties say

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    Mute Bomber
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:24 PM

    @Darran Macken: He gave suspended sentence to city council worker as drug mule.

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    Mute Maurice Whelan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:34 PM

    Mc Entee has a lot to answer for
    …out of her depth, so Govt. Slow to add any more incapable female ministers… she screwed up everything for all the other women

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    Mute Padraic O' Sullivan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:15 PM

    Most nurses are women. Most
    labourers, soldiers, rubbish collectors, bomb disposal experts and roofers are men.
    Most teachers are women. Most carers are women.
    Gender imbalances all over the place.

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
    Favourite Mindful Muinteoir
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:21 PM

    @Padraic O’ Sullivan: And even though only 10% of primary teachers are male, we see 35% of Principal Teachers are male. And that is indicative of the overall societal issue. Society wants women kept ‘in their place’.

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    Jan 30th 2025, 7:52 AM

    @Harry Paisley: It proves that if you put an incompetent man against a competent women (who has noone to pull strings for her), the man wins every time. Cushy boys club. Look at the number of the male ministers that were appointed that have had questionable dealings in the past or have been plain incapable in their former briefs. But yes they were all appointed on ability. Sure!

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    Mute Padraic O' Sullivan
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    Jan 30th 2025, 10:45 PM

    @Mindful Muinteoir: so we need more men in teaching and more men as principals. Got it. Thanks!

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    Mute SirMr
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:30 PM

    Good god DEI is a failed concept that’s been proven to be a failure.

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    Mute Damien Leahy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:16 PM

    Are we to assume then that there is in fact only two genders?

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    Mute Laurence Mulvihill
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:04 PM

    @Damien Leahy: maybe we need a Trans Male Chef Whip and a Trans Female Health minister ??

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:40 PM

    @Laurence Mulvihill: Would the female Chief Whip be called Madam Whiplash?

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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:17 PM

    Strange that the government insisted that the FAI implement a gender balance on the board of the FAI and yet fail to implement the same for the cabinet!!
    RULES FOR THEE ARE NOT FOR ME syndrome!!!

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    Mute Laurence Mulvihill
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:57 PM

    If they want gender balance then say how many genders there are and define what a “Woman” is !!

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    Mute H Woo
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:23 PM

    Did Mary Loo ask any of them their pronouns before she/he shouted her/he mouth off?

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    Mute Luke Littler
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:18 PM

    A record number of junior female ministers! Bravo, an example to the world of gender equality!

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    Mute alan dunne
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:23 PM

    @Luke Littler: equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome.
    Simple, best most qualified for a role, not what gender you are. Trying to get 50% split when the pool of one side of the 50% is much less is madness & a poorer outcome for the public!

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    Mute Dixie
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    Jan 30th 2025, 1:47 AM

    Where’s all the female esb workers , that’s a terrible imbalance going on at the moment

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:11 PM

    maybe that’s enough of the BS parity.

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    Mute pauley870
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:03 PM

    Yes they never stop complaining

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:46 PM

    Ladies vote ladies

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:14 PM

    Of course they do. They arent supporting women at the bottom so then there is limited opportunity to promote women at the top. 50% of our population is female. Of course people should be promoted on their ability but you have to foster that. Women are good for more than making the tea.

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    Jan 30th 2025, 7:53 AM

    @Harry Paisley: Very sweeping statement there Harry. The inventor of computer programming was a woman. She wasnt an outlier. Women just ALSO have empathy.

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    Mute Lorry R
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    Jan 30th 2025, 9:19 PM

    @Harry Paisley: Harry sweetheart…. who hurt you?

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:22 PM

    Looks like they are holding hands in the photo.

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    Mute Leandro Santos
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    Jan 30th 2025, 7:27 AM

    I am sure it does no5. I work in a goverment office which there are 14 women and only 3 lads.

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    Mute Paul
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:48 PM

    Mick the liar.

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    Mute Carl Valderrama
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    Jan 30th 2025, 9:40 AM

    The wokest government ever. They simply can’t find enough women who will destroy the country further

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    Mute Dee
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    Jan 29th 2025, 9:47 PM

    These independent groups are mostly made up of disenfranchised mediocre middle aged white men trying to find a back door into power. Efforts on gender balance by parties are totally negated by agreeing to bring these groups into government. Shame on FFG. Shows that they are not serious on gender balance or encouraging any kind of representation of our society.

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    Mute Ciaran Nangle
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    Jan 31st 2025, 7:11 AM

    Is it not the best people for the job.Does not matter if they are male or female

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