Vol. 526 No. 4
282 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has received a request from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service asking if it will become the sole body responsible for the importation of corneas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26964/00]
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, has not made any request to me that it should become the sole body responsible for the importation of corneas. The IBTS has a statutory responsibility for the provision of eye banking services. It has informed my Department that it has been necessary in recent years to import corneas due to a shortage of donors in this country. The IBTS has identified and validated cornea banks in the United States which are in a position to meet the needs of Irish hospitals in this regard. These eye banks are run on a not for profit basis and are accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America. I am advised that importation of corneas from the United States by the IBTS will start in the very near future.
