The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is to hold two blood donation clinics in Clare next week.

The clinics will take place at the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, between 4.45pm and 8pm on Monday and Tuesday, December 12 and 13.

The clinics come at a time when blood supplies are under pressure. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service has had to import blood from the UK recently because of a current shortage of supply here.

According to a report on RTE, the IBTS said 390 units of O-, A- and B- arrived into Ireland from Manchester in England last week. This is the fourth time in the last 18 months that blood has been imported from the UK.

Barry Doyle, director of production and hospital services at the IBTS, told RTE that maintaining supplies of negative blood groups had become difficult with just two days of O- blood in the bank and he said it activated its contingency plan with the UK’s blood service.

He said over the last number of weeks the IBTS has been issuing more RhD negative blood to hospitals than has been collected.

The IBTS is asking for public support over the coming weeks in order to maintain supply over the Christmas and the New Year. According to the IBTS, it needs to collect 3,000 units of blood every week to maintain the national blood supply.