THE family of Dáithí Mac Gabhann have told of their joy that the stalled organ donation laws for Northern Ireland will progress this week following a last-minute intervention by the UK government.
Dáithi's Law, named after the six-year-old west Belfast boy in need of a heart transplant, is expected to be included in a Westminster bill in the coming days.
It comes after the secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris said he had intervened "in recognition of just how important this issue is" with an amendment to be made to a Westminster bill to ensure the new opt-out system is implemented.
The move came after Dáithi's parents Máirtín Gabhann and Seph Ní Mhealláin last week said they would appeal directly to the secretary of state following their hopes of Stormont passing the legislation being dashed.
They said they had written directly to Mr Heaton-Harris adding that, "We deserve answers. The fight continues".
It came after the DUP's refusal to nominate a Speaker at Stormont led to efforts to pass the stalled legislation failing. The party has been boycotting the powersharing institutions in protest at Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.
But it emerged that Mr Heaton-Harris phoned Dáithi's family on Sunday night to tell them the new opt-out system will soon "become a reality".
The NI secretary said he had been "incredibly moved by Dáithí’s story and his family’s dedication".
"I know that the party leaders in Northern Ireland feel the same," he said.
"In recognition of just how important this issue is, I have decided to bring forward an amendment to the Executive Formation Bill which will allow for the overdue legislation to be made by the NI Department of Health and see this change to the law become a reality.
"I would like to reiterate that, if the amendment is selected, the UK government’s intervention here is exceptional.
"Decisions such as these should be being taken by locally-elected decision-makers.
"I urge the parties to take the necessary steps to tackle all the other vitally important measures, just like this one, that they could deliver in Northern Ireland by simply agreeing to restore the institutions."
Dáithi, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has been on a waiting list for most of his life, and his family said they will travel to London on Wednesday to watch the debate on the bill.
In a statement, they said: "What a way to start the week.
"We were told we wouldn’t, but we did it."
The implementation of Dáithí's Law will mean all adults in Northern Ireland would be considered a potential organ donor after their death unless they specifically stated otherwise.
The north is the only part of the UK where an opt-out organ donation system is not in place.
