merrion street

Today, Minister for Health, Simon Harris, TD, together with Ministers Finian McGrath TD and Helen McEntee TD, and their fellow Oireachtas members, are giving blood at the Irish Blood Transfusion Service’s D’Olier Street Clinic.

At the clinic this afternoon, the Minister spoke of the importance of this issue, “Only 3% of the eligible population of Ireland are active blood donors yet 1 in 4 people will require a blood transfusion at some time in their lives.”

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service recently issued a call for extra donations as the national blood supply was, at the time, down to just 3 days. While blood stocks have stabilised since then, the Minister reiterated “Blood is an absolutely essential part of modern healthcare. Every year thousands of Irish people of all ages require blood transfusions in our hospitals, arising from illnesses and accidents”.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is aiming to recruit 15,000 new donors this year from all round the country, with figures indicating that 21% less people came forward to donate for the first time in 2015 compared to 2010.

The Minister emphasised “We must all play our part in meeting this need, and I particularly encourage young people to consider giving blood.”

The Minister thanked his Oireachtas colleagues who took the time to accompany him to the D’Olier Street Clinic today and wished the Irish Blood Transfusion Service well in its efforts to recruit additional donors.