Legal challenge to MSM blood ban dropped

A legal challenge to Ireland’s lifetime ban on blood donation by men who have sex with men (MSM) has been dropped following a change in policy by Health Minister Simon Harris.

Tomás Heneghan, 24, launched judicial review proceedings in the High Court after being told he was permanently deferred from donating blood after disclosing a sexual encounter with a man.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS), the Minister for Health, and the State were subject to the legal action.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission was a notice party to the proceedings.

Mr Harris recently confirmed that the policy would be changed following a recommendation in a report from the board of the IBTS.

Solicitor Gareth Noble of Dublin firm KOD Lyons, representing Mr Heneghan, told the Irish Independent: “As things stand we still don’t know the timeline for the change in policy. It is incumbent on the minister to deal with the matter expeditiously.”