Health Minister Michelle O’Neill said the new policy will come into affect on September 1.
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The decision follows an Appeal Court ruling in March which confirmed that this is a devolved matter, and substantial new evidence showing that the risk of contracting HIV from donated blood is lower with a one-year deferral than with a lifetime ban.
Northern Ireland’s lifetime ban on gay men donating blood is to end.
“The ban was lifted in England, Scotland and Wales nearly five years ago, so for gay men to suffer discrimination for that period due to the prejudices of one party has been totally unacceptable”.
At present in Northern Ireland, any man who has had sex with another man is banned from giving blood permanently.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly insisted that there was no need for a delay in making the decision. Last year, the Health Minister of the time said that he favoured a “one-year deferral which would bring Ireland into line with many other English-speaking countries”.
“I am pleased action has finally been taken and an absurd blood ban that everyone could see was not based on available evidence but rather discrimination, has been removed”.
Mr Kelleher said: “Minister Harris needs to address this issue”.
“We are taking nothing as read, we look forward to engaging with all ministers as we have done with the health minister today”.
John O’Doherty from gay rights group the Rainbow project has said the ban was “ridiculous” and pointed out that Northern Ireland’s health system uses blood from Scotland, where there is no lifetime ban.
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Former DUP minister Edwin Poots fought a costly legal battle to keep the ban despite the Health department admitting to having “no evidence” whatsoever for it.
