Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris blasted over ‘mixed messages’

​During yesterday’s session in Stormont about reforming the organ donor law, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris came under fire for allegedly sending out mixed messages on the subject.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Feb 2023, 07:46 BST
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Unionists – DUP, UUP, and TUV – all put the onus on him to press home the law via Westminster.

The legal groundwork for Daithi’s Law was laid by the assembly last spring, but some final technical hurdles must be overcome before it can go live, which require MLAs to vote them through.

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However it’s worth noting that, even once the long-anticipated bill is on the statute books, the Department of Health still wants a three-month “lead-in” period before the organ opt-in system enters force.

Six-year-old Daithi Mac Gabhann and his parents Mairtin Mac Gabhann (right) and mother Seph Ni Mheallain (left) arrive at Parliament Buildings at Stormont, ahead of a recalled sitting of the Assembly focused on a stalled organ donation law. The law introducing an opt-out donation system in Northern Ireland has been named after Daithi, who is awaiting a heart transplant.Six-year-old Daithi Mac Gabhann and his parents Mairtin Mac Gabhann (right) and mother Seph Ni Mheallain (left) arrive at Parliament Buildings at Stormont, ahead of a recalled sitting of the Assembly focused on a stalled organ donation law. The law introducing an opt-out donation system in Northern Ireland has been named after Daithi, who is awaiting a heart transplant.
Six-year-old Daithi Mac Gabhann and his parents Mairtin Mac Gabhann (right) and mother Seph Ni Mheallain (left) arrive at Parliament Buildings at Stormont, ahead of a recalled sitting of the Assembly focused on a stalled organ donation law. The law introducing an opt-out donation system in Northern Ireland has been named after Daithi, who is awaiting a heart transplant.

DUP MLA Paul Givan noted that the Tories had already over-ridden devolution to impose laws on Northern Ireland on “issues which were much more controversial” than this – namely, gay marriage, liberalised abortion, and an Irish language act.

“The secretary of state has a responsibility to take this forward,” said Mr Givan.

“His approach to handling this issue is where he releases statements to the media, and then says different things in private to political parties.”

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Mr Givan noted that one suggested way forward is to tack Daithi’s Law on to Mr Heaton-Harris’ upcoming bill to extend the deadline for a Stormont election to 2024.

A fortnight ago, Mr Heaton-Harris had written to MLAs to say: “I am asking my officials to explore possible avenues for the UK government to progress this issue, should the assembly fail to do so.”

But this week, the Northern Ireland Office warned that a law on organ donation is “highly unlikely to be in scope” of the election bill.

Mr Givan said: “He says he will support MPs to bring forward an amendment to it, but then publicly says they believe this isn't within the scope of the bill to do so.”

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Meanwhile, yesterday Stephen Nolan reported that Mr Heaton-Harris “had a private arrangement with the DUP last week, and he promised them he would back their tactic of putting the organ donation bill through Westminster” – though Paula Bradshaw of the Alliance Party said it was “no secret” that the NI secretary is prepared to “work with the parties” on such an amendment.

Related topics:Chris Heaton-HarrisPaul GivanNorthern IrelandMLAsUnionists