Hepatitis C claims – Victims continue to lose out

THERE is a justifiable sense of outrage over Health Minister Micheál Martin’s decision to appeal a High Court verdict allowing hepatitis C victims to take multi-million euro claims against the State.

Given that the Government’s own agencies supplied hundreds of people with infected blood products, the move is questionable to say the least.

Beset by financial constraints, some will portray the minister as defending the interests of tax payers by refusing to open the compensation flood gates.