Vol. 542 No. 4
141 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the response he is giving to a request from the Irish Haemophilia Society to extend the terms of reference of the Lindsay tribunal to enable multinational pharmaceutical companies to be investigated; if his response is positive, the way this request can be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24662/01]
As the House is aware, the Irish Haemophilia Society – IHS – wrote to me on 6 September 2001 seeking an extension to the terms of reference of the tribunal of inquiry chaired by Judge Lindsay to enable it to carry out an investigation into US-based pharmaceutical companies.
Under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1998, the terms of reference of a tribunal can only be amended where the tribunal has consented to the proposed amendment, following consultation with the Attorney General on behalf of the relevant Minister, or where the tribunal itself has requested the amendment. At my request, the Attorney General initiated a statutory consultation process with the chairperson. On 16 October the chairperson furnished a detailed response to the Attorney General in which she states that she does not believe that it would be correct for her to consent to the suggested amendment of the terms of reference of the tribunal. I met with representatives of the society earlier today to brief them on the chairperson's response and I am now considering the situation in the light of that response. I have placed copies of the relevant correspondence in the Oireachtas Library for the information of members.
