434. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the policy in Ireland on umbilical cord donation for stem cell collection and treatment; and if her Department has considered the creation of a public cord blood bank. [67690/26]

Ireland does not currently operate a national umbilical cord blood bank. Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells which may be used in the treatment of certain conditions, including some blood disorders and cancers. While cord blood is a source of stem cells, it is not the sole source, and bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplants are recognised as established treatments.

Decisions regarding stem cell transplantation services and the sourcing of stem cell donations are matters for the HSE, informed by clinical expertise, service requirements and patient need. Patients in Ireland requiring stem cell transplantation may access suitably matched stem cell donations through existing national and international arrangements.

There are currently no proposals before my Department regarding the establishment of a national cord blood bank in Ireland. Any proposal in this area would require careful consideration of clinical need, operational and regulatory requirements, resource implications, international best practice and the available evidence base, informed by the advice of the relevant clinical and service planning experts.