Hepatitis C sufferers infected by contaminated blood were left devastated tonight after a prosecution against a leading scientist was dropped.

Brian Cowen’s unblemished career to date does not guarantee him the top job in government — in fact, it could very well be his downfall, writes Political Reporter Paul O’Brien.

The Government will agree on a compensation scheme for victims of disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary within a fortnight, it emerged this afternoon.

ECHOES resound of one of the biggest ever public health scandals following confirmation by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) that it is unable to discover how a woman developed hepatitis C last year after receiving three blood transfusions.

A FORMER blood bank official who was facing criminal charges relating to the blood transfusion scandal has died.

WHILE the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has largely recovered from the hepatitis C scandal, it is worrying that only 3% of the population contribute to this most deserving of causes.

AN independent review of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) delay in notifying blood donors in the nineties that had contracted Hepatitis C has criticised the organisation’s management and reporting structures.

THE Irish Blood Transfusion Service yesterday confirmed it is being sued by three people who tested positive for hepatitis C but who were not informed for a number of years that they had the virus.

THE doctor who acted as whistleblower in the hepatitis C scandal last night launched a blistering attack on her own organisation, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).

SHOULD Michael Woods ever return to the front bench, the Department of Defence might be the natural posting for him.

Two former senior officials with the Blood Transfusion Service Board have been charged with grievous bodily harm in connection with the Hepatitis C scandal.

The Blood Transfusion Service Board intends to extend the safeguards put in place last year to prevent the spread of CJD, the human form of mad cow disease.

A major rift over blood testing, caused

WITH the publication of the findings of the Lindsay Tribunal, and the recommendations it contains, hopefully one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the State will be finally concluded — except for one issue.

THOUSANDS of women are unaware that they received potentially infected blood products linked to the hepatitis C scandal.

A BITTER war of words erupted yesterday between the Government and the Blood Bank over the handling of the State’s blood supply.

The Department of Health has denied allegations that it is involved in a vendetta against Dr Joan Power, the Cork regional director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

The Blood Transfusion Board meets this morning to discuss the terms of reference into the Inquiry as to why donors who contracted Hepatitis C were not immediately informed.

The Chief Executive of the Blood Transfusion Board is stepping down and says the forthcoming tribunal into the Hepatitis C scandal will vindicate his name.

Health Minister Micheal Martin and two pressure groups are reported to have agreed most of the terms of reference for an inquiry into the latest Hepatitis C scandal.

The Minister for Health has said no decision on a second tribunal into the Hepatitis C scandal will be taken at cabinet today.