Finance pushing cheap blood products

Political Editor

Irish Haemophilia Society chairman Brian O’Mahony said he was extremely concerned about the details of a

bitter tussle between the Finance

Department and the Health Department over the cost of new, safer blood products. They are being provided in the wake of various investigations into blood contamination scandals.

The revelations came in documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, which again showed the two departments have an ongoing dispute over what Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy has repeatedly said is a very poor return for record investment in the public health system.

Letters exchanged showed criticisms by Mr McCreevy of the performance of his cabinet colleague and Health Minister Micheál Martin. A letter from the finance minister, copied to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, expressed his dismay and considerable alarm at the failure to improve patient services.

On the cost of haemophilia treatments, the documents showed Finance Department concerns and suggestions that cheaper products could be found to cut the €50m extra being spent on current products. Mr O’Mahony

described the suggestions as bizarre and demonstrating a lack of knowledge of the products and treatments and their charges.

“I am completely horrified by all of this. It shows no appreciation of what haemophilia sufferers have gone through in the very recent past,” Mr O’Mahony said.

The correspondence, released to the health website IrishHealth.com, also showed the Health Department could not accept the Finance Department’s views on the matter.

In recent Dáil debates on the Lindsay Tribunal Report into blood

contamination, Mr Martin has made it clear resources would not be an issue when it comes to haemophiliacs’ care.

In his Budget speech last week, Mr McCreevy pointed out that health spending increased from over €5 billion in 1997 to almost 9 billion this year. The minister has repeatedly urged the need to get better value for money spent.