State will not sue contaminated blood suppliers

HAEMOPHILIACS have accused the Government of betraying them in not pursuing the US pharmaceutical firms that supplied the State with contaminated blood products.

Imported blood products were responsible for infecting a total of 106 haemophiliacs with HIV and 221 with hepatitis C. There have been 91 deaths.

But the Government has decided against taking legal action against the drug firms, either in the US or Ireland, saying it would be a foolish venture and a waste of taxpayers’ money.