Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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12. To ask the Minister for Health if he will decrease from 18 years of age to 16 or 17 years of age, the age at which blood donations are accepted, with parental consent, thereby increasing the amount of donations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7896/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is responsible for providing a safe and reliable blood service to the Irish health service. Blood, and the products derived from it, are an integral element of healthcare delivery. A major objective of the organisation is to ensure that it always has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both the donors and the recipients of blood and blood products.

I want to pay tribute to those who regularly donate blood. Their altruism allows the health service to deliver a full range of important and sometimes life saving treatment. Interestingly, just 3% of the eligible population currently donates blood and so, despite extensive promotion by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, there is considerable scope to achieve more donation from within the currently eligible population.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service has no plans to reduce the age of consent for blood donations from 18 to 16 or 17 years of age. They advise that they do not propose to reduce the age of consent due to a higher rate of adverse reactions, such as fainting, in younger donors.