Vol. 529 No. 2
119 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will have investigations made into a report by the Regional Director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service that rodents have regularly gained access to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service components laboratory in Cork as reported in a publication (details supplied). [2662/01]
I have been given to understand that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service – IBTS – has examined its records from September 1999 to date and there is no report of rodents ever having gained access to the components laboratory at the Cork site. In fact, following investment of approximately £500,000, a new components laboratory was procured in 1998 to meet the requirements of the Irish Medicines Board which is the regulatory authority for the blood transfusion service. However, I also understand that there has been rodent activity at other parts of the site which has been addressed. A report which was prepared for the IBTS by relevant experts in October 2000 indicated that there was no evidence of such activity at that time.
At its meeting on 10 January 2001, the board of the IBTS approved the submission to the Department of a draft planning brief for a new transfusion centre to replace existing facilities. My Department is currently examining this submission as a matter of priority.
