Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of blood donation. As someone who has been a blood donor since I was 18, I encourage anyone who is eligible to contact the blood bank and make an appointment to donate. Only this morning, I got a text to tell me that stocks of my blood type are down to 1.6 days of supply when they should be seven days. I cannot believe there has been no public campaign to inform gay and bisexual men that, as and from 28 March, the eligibility criteria will change. From 28 March, a four-month deferral for gay and bisexual men will come into place and oral sex between men will no longer form the basis for a deferral.This is really welcome progress but we really need to move to an individualised risk assessment system for all donors, such as is in place in the North. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, has confirmed that this will be the case in Ireland but we have no confirmed date, having only been told that it will be later this year. I would like to hear the Minister's rationale for this phased approach as opposed to moving directly to individual-based risk assessments. I would also like clarity as to the date on which that individual assessment system will be introduced. I would also like confirmation as to whether the Minister will address the anomalies regarding women donating. Under the new proposals, women who have sex with men who have had sex with other men will face a 12-month ban while that same man will be free to donate. I ask the Deputy Leader to seek clarity on those questions but also on why this low-key approach to these changes is being taken. The blood service is importing blood from England while there are potential donors who are completely unaware that they are eligible to give blood and could be making appointments today for next week. This is a good news story so I have to ask the Deputy Leader why the Government is not letting people know about it, thereby allowing eligible blood donors to donate next week.