THE daughter of Mrs Brigid McCole, who died from hepatitis C infection, has said the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, should resign over the Government's refusal to explain why she was "threatened" for pursuing her compensation claim through the courts.
Mrs McCole died last October. She had received an infected blood product in 1977 from the Bloods' Transfusion Service Board.
Ms Brid McCole rejected the apology by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, yesterday to hepatitis C victims and said it was too late for her family. But she called on Mr Noonan to "do the decent thing" and explain the State's legal strategy in dealing with her mother's case.
The family is considering further legal action against the State.
Mr Bruton yesterday formally apologised to those infected with hepatitis C and their families. On RTE radio's This Week Mr Bruton said it was "dreadful that the people and their families had to suffer this agony and they suffered it as a result of omissions by a State body."
He added: "No amount of compensation and no amount of regret from people like me is going to take away the hurt that the women themselves suffer and I acknowledge this completely."
At an emotional press conference in Dublin, Ms McCole said the family wanted Mr Noonan to answer the question as to why the State threatened her mother in a letter.
"It was only when our mother lay dying in a Dublin hospital just before her court action was to begin did the admission of liability and apology come from the Blood Transfusion Service Board.
"Even then she was threatened with costs if she pursued her case for aggravated damages - the same damages that this Government has said should now be paid to victims."
Fianna Fail's health spokesman, Mr Brian Cowen, called on the Taoiseach to make his apology "a reality rather than just more rhetoric about hepatitis C", by calling on Mr Noonan to appear at the Dail Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
