SAOIRSE32

BBC

**There is no better way to memorialise your loved one than by giving the gift of life to another who needs it. Please consider registering as a donor.

Three people in Northern Ireland died waiting for heart and lung transplants last year, the NI Chest Heart and Stroke has said.

The charity called for more people in NI to go on the UK Organ Donor Register as part of National Transplant Week.

Chief Executive of NICHS Andrew Dougal said there had been three heart and lung transplants for local people.

“Heart and lung transplant patients can die while waiting for a transplant,” he said.

“So it is important that as many people as possible consider organ donation to ensure a greater chance of life for people waiting for transplants.”

In January 2009, 12 people were waiting in Northern Ireland for heart and/or lung transplants and 299 for kidney transplants.

Ciaran Murphy, 22, from Glengormley suffers from cystic fibrosis and had double lung transplant surgery eight weeks ago in Newcastle, England, after being on the transplant list for two-and-a-half years.

“It was eight hours of miracle surgery that changed my life forever,” he said.

“The more awareness there is of people waiting for transplants the better, waiting for the surgery was a very difficult time. I would ask everyone in Northern Ireland to think about signing the Donor Register today.”

In Northern Ireland, 435,000 people are on the organ donor register, a slightly lower proportion of people than the rest of the UK.

By Brian Rowan
Belfast Telegraph
Monday, 6 July 2009

Decommissioning general John de Chastelain is back in Belfast — with the focus now firmly fixed on the UDA and the job of putting all that organisation’s weapons beyond use.

The general and Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) colleagues Andrew Sens and Tauno Nieminen will spend the week here — part of a regular monthly routine ahead of the August progress report they will deliver to the British and Irish Governments.

On their last visit a few weeks ago they witnessed “major” decommissioning by the UVF and Red Hand Commando, and what was described as a “significant” start to the process by the UDA.

Assessing what further short term progress can be made with that organisation is likely to be the key piece of work this week.

Paramilitary brigadier Jackie McDonald was quoted in a weekend newspaper report saying he hoped “full UDA decommissioning” could be achieved by the end of August.

But another organisation source was more cautious.

It wouldn’t be impossible,” he told this newspaper, “but I would say that’s ambitious.”

“It will take longer. There’s goodwill and everybody is moving in the right direction.

“The UDA is putting a big emphasis on talking to their people.

“I can’t see it being done that quickly (by August),” he said.

The UVF and linked Red Hand Commando claim to have decommissioned all weapons and explosives under their control.

“We’re finished,” a senior source told this newspaper.

It is thought likely the general and his commission colleagues will meet the UDA interlocutors in Belfast this week.