Ireland: Live kidney donors to be given tax-free expenses

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http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/live-kidney-donors-to-be-given-taxfree-expenses-30738307.html

Live kidney donors to be given tax-free expenses
By Eilish O'Regan

PEOPLE who choose to give the gift of life by donating a kidney to a patient are to receive expenses which will be tax free in the future, Health Minister Leo Varadkar confirmed.

Currently, live kidney donors can be left seriously out of pocket due to having to take time off work while also incurring travel, accommodation and other expenses, despite the generous act.

However, Mr Varadkar said he would launch a new system where the HSE would reimburse the donor for these expenses.The Cabinet yesterday also endorsed a proposal to exempt them from tax.

While the sums involved have yet to be worked out it could mean the donor will receive around €6,000 depending on their salary. The move was welcomed by Mark Murphy of the Irish Kidney Association who said his organisation has helped out donors financially in many cases.

The Minister said: "Anyone donating a kidney must take a certain amount of time off work in order to recover.

"This can have an impact on their ability earn a living. This new measure from Minister Michael Noonan will make sure that living kidney donors see the full benefit of a generous range of financial supports which I will be announcing in the near future."

He said he would shortly be introduced as part of a committee stage amendment to the Finance Bill.

The new reimbursement process will be managed by the HSE and will set out procedures, rates and upper limits for each reimbursable item, including procedures in relation to the reimbursement of loss of earnings for employed and self-employed donors.

The numbers of people donating one of their kidneys to help out a relative or friend with kidney disease has significantly grown in recent years.

The hope is to have 100 of these living kidney transplants carried out over the next few years in Beaumont Hospital. It currently has more donors than it can cope with.