Is it agreed that Deputy O'Keeffe will table his motion? Agreed.
Hepatitis C Compensation Scheme: Motion.
I move:
That this committee:
—seeks a report in relation to the case of a person (details supplied) and others who might have similar difficulty who contracted hepatitis C in France some years ago and is not eligible for any special arrangements that were made available to persons who contracted hepatitis C in Ireland;
—given that the French authorities do not appear to have any compensation scheme for victims and that the person is left in a limbo situation, seeks a report from the Department of Health and Children on what initiative can be taken at European level to ensure that the person concerned and others in a similar situation could become eligible for assistance in Ireland on the basis of the scheme made available to those who contracted the disease through contact with the Irish services, or by the French or European authorities under some reciprocal cover.
Many Irish people travel abroad and may be exposed to a similar situation. I seek a European dimension to a European problem. I hope by seeking the report we might find a solution.
Question put and agreed to.