Govt under fire over restrictions on Hep C compensation

The Government is coming under fire today over new legislation it is introducing on compensation for haemophiliacs infected with HIV and Hepatitis C via contaminated blood products.

When publishing the bill last week, the Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney said it was designed to provide insurance cover for people infected as a result of the blood scandal.

However, groups representing haemophiliacs are demanding that the legislation be withdrawn, saying it will restrict the rights and entitlements of Hepatitis C sufferers.

Sinn Féin says the bill seeks to undermine the original HIV and Hepatitis C compensation legislation by imposing stricter conditions for claiming redress from the State.

The Labour Party's Liz McManus, meanwhile, has also expressed concern at the development, but says her party is seeking legal advice before making a final assessment of the legislation.