Martin pledges new blood inquiry

A NEW investigation into the anti-D blood product scandal has been promised by Health Minister Micheál Martin.

The inquiry will be in addition to the internal investigation by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service which examined whether there were more than two sources of the hepatitis C virus that infected more than 1,000 women.

Anti-D is given to rhesus negative mothers who have given birth to rhesus positive babies. The blood bank has only accepted responsibility for infections from 1977 to 1979 and 1991 to 1994.