Ireland

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service, which was established in 1965, is headed nationally by the Chief Executive who reports to the Board of the IBTS. The twelve Board members, including the Chairman, are appointed by the Minister for Health.

IBTS has its headquarters in Dublin and a regional centre in Cork. In addition there are six local centres from where collection teams depart to collect donations in their respective regions and three fixed centres.

Additionally, the IBTS functions as The National Haemovigilance Office; The National Blood Group Reference Laboratory; The National Tissue Typing Reference Laboratory; The Heart Valve Bank; The National Eye Bank; The Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry . IBTS has received a manufacturing licence for limbal stem cells.