I wish to say something cheerful about this section, having reminded people of how easy it would be for a similar situation to occur if we did not invest time, people and money in this area.
This section provides that children diagnosed HIV positive because their mother was infected by someone or some blood product are to be compensated. We were probably the first country in Europe to have universal testing of pregnant women and as a result we have not had one single case of vertical transmission of HIV infection in the last three years. That is quite astonishing, given that some women who enter this country pregnant have not received any antenatal care.
Testing in this area is so good that I can almost swear we have not had one case of vertical transmission in the last three years. I thank the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, for its introduction. Colleagues of mine working in this area raised with the Minister the issue of introducing universal testing. Within about two weeks he decided it was to be introduced and it was. It has been of huge benefit and it means that at least one group of people is being dealt with very well in the medical system.