Martin and haemophiliac group reach agreement

The Minister for Health, Mr Michael Martin, and the Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) have reached an agreement over legislation…

The Minister for Health, Mr Michael Martin, and the Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) have reached an agreement over legislation to compensate people infected through contaminated blood products.

The Minister met with the IHS this afternoon after the group had threatened to withdraw its support for a Government Bill which it said was "discriminatory".

The IHS had complained the Bill failed to extend the scope of compensation for haemophiliacs suffering from both hepatitis C and HIV.

This evening, however, a spokeswomen for the group said it had reached agreement with the Minister concerning the proposals.

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The Bill, due to be introduced to the Dáil tomorrow if passed, will allow relatives of some 64 haemophiliacs who have died to apply for compensation to a tribunal.

The proposals could be implemented by the Oireachtas during the lifetime of the Government.

An estimated 105 haemophiliacs were infected with HIV through imported and BTSB-made blood products. Some 64 have since died.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times