Supplies of blood to hospitals will be resumed tomorrow, according to an announcement from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).
Last week hospitals across the State were asked to cancel non-urgent and elective surgery due to a shortage of blood stocks. The IBTS said it was experiencing "a serious reduction in blood donations".
A substantial increase in donations, as people responded to the emergency, has allowed blood supplies to resume, however, allowing hospitals to restart elective surgery.
While expressing gratitude for the public response, the National Medical Director of the IBTS, Dr William Murphy, said: "The supply remains tight and we urge people to continue to donate in the coming weeks so that there is not a recurrence of the blood shortages of last week."
Donor services manager Kieran Healy said: "Since last Thursday the IBTS has collected about 2,000 donations."
However, he added that blood lasts just 35 days. "We need to collect 3,000 units a week every week to supply patient needs. . . . Therefore we are urging people to donate blood in the coming weeks," he added.
Last week was the first time in more than three years that the blood bank has had to appeal to hospitals to postpone non-urgent surgery due to blood shortages. The last time it made a similar appeal was in January 2002.
The IBTS today released 500 red balloons on the eve of World Blood Donor Day to represent the 500 donations needed every day in Ireland.
Mr Healy said World Blood Donor Day is about celebrating and honouring those people who donate their blood on a voluntary, unpaid basis, "to give the most precious gift of all, the gift of life".