Govt denies vendetta against IBTS director

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.

Dr Power is widely credited with exposing the scandal surrounding the infection of Irish people with Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products.

In a TV interview, Dr Power claimed that a senior official in the Department of Health wanted to ruin her career after she criticised the Government’s handling of the controversy.

However, the department has issued a statement today denying any vendetta.

It said its key objectives in regard to the IBTS are to ensure the victims of the Hepatitis C scandal receive fair compensation and treatment and to support the service in achieving internationally accepted safety standards.