Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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2202. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review the blood donation policy in view of recent policy changes in blood donation policy in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36949/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The remit of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is to provide a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system. A major objective of the IBTS is to ensure that it always has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both the recipients and the donors of blood and blood products. The IBTS constantly keeps all deferral policies under active review, in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international evidence, to ensure the ongoing safety of blood and the products derived from it.

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.

My Department is in the process of establishing a post-implementation surveillance monitoring group to assess the impact, if any, on the incidence of transfusion transmitted infections, following the change to donor deferral policies in 2017. The output of this Group will provide an evidence base that can inform future decisions on proposed changes to deferral policies, including any future changes to MSM deferral policy.