Government tribunal cost cutting plan angers Hep C support group

A GROUP representing women angry at the delay in informing them they had contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products has criticised government plans to streamline the tribunal process.

The government wants to introduce a new system that would cut the cost and time spent on investigating matters of public concern. It’s a response to growing concern at the tribunal system of investigation.

But Positive Action, which represents 28 women in Munster who were given the contaminated products in the early 1990s, believes the only way to investigate their cases is through a full statutory inquiry.

The women were not told for some time, in some cases three years, that they had contracted Hepatitis C. “As a result, it prevented them receiving treatment and left their families open to infection,” said chairwoman Detta Warnock.

Department of Justice officials, with other government colleagues, are working out the new approach. But the heads of bill means it would not be able to compel witnesses and would lack the power to carry out a full investigation, said Ms Warnock. It would be “an absolute and utter waste of time,” she said.

The Minister for Health last year promised an inquiry into the affair but a format agreed between the Department of Health, Positive Action and Transfusion Positive was rejected by the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

Positive Action wants a statutory inquiry with power to compel witnesses and produce documents.