One of two former officials of the Blood Transfusion Service Board who had been charged with causing hepatitis C infection, has died.
Dr Terry Walsh, from Foxrock, Dublin, died on Tuesday at St Vincent's Hospital.
He was a consultant haematologist with the blood bank from 1969 until 1995 and served as the blood bank's chief medical officer for a number of years.
He featured at two tribunals of inquiry into activities at the blood bank, including the Finlay tribunal, which inquired into the infection of women with hepatitis C through anti-D, and the Lindsay tribunal which inquired into the infection of haemophiliacs with HIV and hepatitis C.
In the report of the Finlay tribunal, Dr Walsh was found to have been in neglect of his duty for failing to recommend against using the plasma of a woman, known as patient X, as soon as he learned of her jaundice and hepatitis.
The plasma was used to make anti-D which was then issued to women who required it and went on to infect them.
At the time of the anti-D infection, Dr Walsh was the most junior of the blood bank's three medical officers, but he had responsibility for donors. His response was to do nothing and he appeared to have "a vague hope that by ignoring the problem, it would go away", the report said.
There followed a Garda inquiry and a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In July 2003 he and another former member of staff at the blood bank, Cecily Cunningham, were charged with "unlawfully and maliciously" causing a noxious substance, namely infected anti- D, to be taken by seven women, thereby inflicting grievous bodily harm contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act.
The infections were alleged to have taken place between 1977 and 1992 at hospitals in Limerick, Cork, Laois, Galway and Dublin.
Dr Walsh instituted judicial review proceedings in the High Court to try and stop the DPP from going ahead with the case on grounds that there had been prosecutorial delay, that he was prejudiced in that many potential witnesses had died since the time of the alleged offences and that he had experienced ill health in recent years.
The case was ongoing at the time of his death.
A judgment in the judicial review proceedings taken by Ms Cunningham is due next month.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service said yesterday it had learned of Dr Walsh's "untimely death" and wanted to extend its sincere sympathies to his wife, Mary, and his family.
"Dr Walsh was employed with the blood transfusion service from 11th January 1969 until 10th April 1995 and we would like to sincerely thank him for his commitment and hard work during this time," a spokesman said.