Paul Murphy
Question:219. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans for the reduction of the age of consent for blood donations to 16 or 17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5252/15]
View answerThursday, 5 February 2015
Questions (219)
Written answers
The remit of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is to provide a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system. Blood, and the products derived from it, are an integral facet of healthcare delivery. A major objective of the IBTS is to ensure that it always has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both the donors of blood and the recipients of blood and blood products.
The IBTS have no plans to reduce the age of consent for blood donations to 16 or 17 years due to a higher rate of adverse reactions, such as fainting, in younger donors.