Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1058. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the current one year deferral on MSM blood donors here to a three month deferral (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26740/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On January 16th this year, the IBTS lifted its lifelong ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood.

The policies introduced by the IBTS in January set out that (a) the deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood should be reduced to a period of one year following their last sexual encounter with a man and (b) all donors who have had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) should be deferred from donating blood for a period of at least five years from that infection.

The IBTS has no current plans to reduce the one year deferral on MSM from donating blood, though they will continue to keep all deferral policies under active review in light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international experience.