In an unexpected development the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) last night called for the establishment of a full judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the timing of the disclosure of test results to 28 donors in Munster who tested hepatitis C positive between 1991 and 1993.
The IBTS said in a statement that the investigation should also examine the timing of the notification of hepatitis C test results to blood donors between 1991 and 2002.
The Minister for Health has proposed an investigation by a team of barristers lead by a senior counsel. The IBTS, however, believes a full judicial inquiry is the best way to proceed.
Earlier this week, the patient advocacy groups Positive Action and Transfusion Positive met representatives of the IBTS to discuss the issue. Positive Action, Transfusion Positive and the Minister for Health and Children have agreed terms of reference, and only the agreement of the IBTS remained to be secured yesterday.
The inquiry, ordered by the Minister, Mr Martin, will examine why the 28 donors were not told they had tested positive for hepatitis C in 1991.
The donors lived in Munster, and a dispute over the files on these donors led to the suspension last month of Dr Joan Power, who directs IBTS services in the region, by IBTS chief executive Mr Martin Hynes.
That suspension was overturned within days by the board of the IBTS, which quickly moved to suspend Mr Hynes.He went to the High Court in an action which resulted in a settlement which will see him leave his post in October with a severance package reportedly worth €300,000.
There was no indication by yesterday evening that the board had agreed the terms of the inquiry.