Blood Donations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2015

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Questions (390)

Michael Creed

Question:

390. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that there is a restriction on donations of blood to the blood bank here by persons who may have been resident in the United Kingdom during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, crisis period; the number of cases which have established a clear link between residency in the United Kingdom during the relevant period and transmission of BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, CJD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7014/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The IBTS has implemented a permanent deferral policy in regard to blood donation for people who resided for 12 months or more in the UK between 1980 and 1996. This policy was introduced in 2004 following the first confirmed case of vCJD transmission via blood transfusion in the UK. It is implemented as a precaution against the risk of transmission of vCJD through blood transfusion. There is no test for vCJD and confirmation that someone had the disease is only possible post mortem.

There have been 4 cases of vCJD in Ireland. Two of these cases have been ascribed to exposure to the BSE agent while resident in the UK and two were indigenous cases.

I have recently asked the IBTS to establish a process to examine existing deferral policies and the extent to which they comply with available evidence and with international best practice. I expect this examination to be completed within six months.