Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 24 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 4

Written Answers. - Hepatitis C.

Michael McDowell

Ceist:

24 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Health the circumstances surrounding the breakdown of consultations with members of Positive Action; the implications for the proposed tribunal to compensate victims of hepatitis C contacted through contaminated Anti-D; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15501/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): On 7 September 1995 Positive Action wrote to me to advise me that their members would not contemplate any scheme which might be abandoned by a future Government and that unless an admission of liability and draft heads of a Bill covering health care and tribunal issues were forthcoming within two weeks that negotiations would be at an end.

I wrote to Positive Action on 14 September 1995 and pointed out that through ongoing discussions and consultation that considerable advances had been made in meeting the complex and wide ranging needs of Positive Action.

In my letter of 14 September, I also stated that I believed that through continuing discussions, considerable further progress could be made in resolving many of the outstanding issues and that this would require a realistic understanding and acceptance of each others position. I concluded my letter by stating that I hoped that despite the sentiments expressed in Positive Action's letter of 7 September 1995, that we could find a way to work together for the benefit of their organisation's members. Positive Action responded to my letter by letter dated 15 September 1995, pointing out that their absolute priority was a statutory tribunal which would include statutory health care and counselling guarantees and an admission of liability and stating that unless they received a commitment that a scheme of compensation would be established, which is entrenched in law, that they saw no point in further discussions.

I again wrote to Positive Action on 18 October 1995, stating that I hoped that my offer as set out in my letter of 14 September 1994, to hold further discussions to resolve outstanding issues would be taken up. On 20 October 1995, Positive Action responded to my letter of 18 October 1995, indicating that they would be pleased to meet with me. A meeting will be arranged as soon as possible.