Gay rights campaigners will today take to the streets of Dublin to call on Minister for Health Mary Harney to review the ban on gay men from donating blood.
Equality activists claim homosexual men could safeguard the national blood stocks, which failed to meet required stock levels three times in the past six months.
Senator David Norris will address the protest, organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), outside the Department of Health. Equality campaigners insist Ms Harney must order the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) to rethink its unconditional rejection of gay men.
USI President Colm Hamrogue
USI claims the minister is guilty of supporting institutional discrimination by supporting IBTS which attributes a high HIV risk-level to all men who are gay, whether or not the sex is safe.
"The ban simply is not in keeping with her department's own statistics in relation to HIV contraction and reinforces the prejudice in some sections of society against gay and lesbian people," said USI lesbian and gay spokesman Steve Conlon.
He said the IBTS was turning away willing donors for no other reason that the fact that they have had sex with another man.
Campaigners are to meet at Trinity College from 12.30pm and march to the Department of Health on nearby Hawkins Street where Senator Norris will address the crowd.
USI President Colm Hamrogue the donation of blood was one of the most selfless acts one person could do for another. "," he said.
PA