Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the MSM one-year deferral period on blood donation; if further examination has or will be sought by his Department or the IBTS on the matter in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40133/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The IBTS lifted its lifelong ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood in January 2017, when the deferral policy was reduced to a period of one year following their last sexual encounter with a man.

The IBTS will continue to keep all deferral policies under active review in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international experience.