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The father of a boy who has inspired change to Northern Ireland's organ donation law has said he will put pressure on politicians to finally approve it at Stormont.

Dáithí's Law is named after Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who needs a heart transplant.

It was due to take effect this spring but is being held up by the political crisis at Stormont.

Máirtín Mac Gabhann said: "I have no loyalties to any of the political parties - my loyalty is to Dáithí."

His comment came after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it would consider whether to allow the election of a Speaker, meaning the law could be pushed through the Stormont assembly.

The party has blocked the functioning of the assembly for over a year as part of its protest against post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.

DUP MLA Paul Givan said the party would meet on Monday to "take a position" about electing a Speaker.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the organ donation law could be in place within days if the assembly was recalled.

'Nothing more important'

Dáithí's Law would introduce an opt-out system, meaning people would automatically become donors unless they stated otherwise.

It passed in the assembly in February 2022 but additional legislation is needed to specify which organs and tissues are covered under the opt-out system.

Without that the system cannot come into effect.

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Mr Mac Gabhann said he had "a bit more faith" that the legislation could finally be approved by Stormont assembly members.

"There's nothing more important to me than Dáithí's Law in the political world," he told BBC News NI on Friday.

"If this is a possibility through the assembly or whether it's Westminster we will look at all avenues and we will put pressure on all the parties."

He said he was due to speak to Mr Givan of the DUP on on Friday.

'Political blackmail'

Last week Mr Heaton-Harris said a proposal to take the legislation through Westminster instead of Stormont would take too long to complete.

On Friday DUP MP Ian Paisley accused him of "political blackmail" and said Mr Heaton-Harris had the power to pass Dáithí's Law "within a stroke of his pen".

"The government should take a very hard stand and say we are in charge, the Northern Ireland Office are in charge," said the North Antrim MP.

"They can enact this though the House of Commons immediately and it will be a far faster process than the assembly getting back up and running."

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