The Minister for Health Mary Harney has insisted the national blood supply is safe after a suspected vCJD carrier was allowed to donate blood.
Last night it emerged that a young man who is being treated in a Dublin hospital for a probable case of the fatal human form of Mad Cow Disease had given blood.
Two people received blood from the man and one has since died from an unrelated condition.
Ms Harney said the man had given blood recently following an appeal for donors by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).
But she said today: “Our blood supply is secure and operates to the highest possible international standards.
“The Blood Service has done an enormous amount of work in recent years in making sure that is the case.
“I would have full confidence in the Blood Service.”
Ms Harney said it was always predicted that there would be a number of cases of vCJD in this country.
It is not known how the man in question contracted vCJD, but the incubation period can be up to 10 years.
The hospital where the man is being treated is awaiting tests to confirm the vCJD infection.
The IBTS said that there was no way to test blood donors for vCJD.
IBTS national medical director William Murphy said: “We hope there may be one in a year or so. As soon as there is, we will implement it.”
The IBTS said it became aware of the suspected vCJD case earlier this week.
Mr Murphy said the suspected vCJD patient donated blood “a couple of months ago” and that this situation had occurred in the UK and France.
One person who received blood from the patient had died from a completely unrelated condition and the vCJD prion was discovered in a post mortem exam.
Another recipient is alive and has been informed of the circumstances.
Mr Murphy said he couldn't tell at the moment what the risk was to that person.
He said the latest blood scare was unfortunate as it followed a special public appeal for blood a fortnight ago.
“We took rather extreme measures recently to try to reduce the threat of transmission of vCJD and that included putting the blood supply at risk of ongoing shortages.
“This coming on top of that is a tragic coincidence,” Mr Murphy said.
PA