Varadkar calls for change to blood donation rules for gay men

The Tanaiste has said it is “incongruous” that blood is having to be imported from Britain when some groups here, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), face restrictions on donating.

The Tánaiste has said it is “incongruous” that blood is having to be imported from Britain when some groups here, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), face restrictions on donating.

Since 2017, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has had a one-year deferral for men who have sex with other men in order for them to donate blood. However, in the summer, IBTS announced it was importing a bulk consignment of blood from the UK due to a shortage in supply.