The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, is examining the possibility of establishing a new tribunal of inquiry. It would investigate the role of US drug companies in the infection of Irish haemophiliacs with HIV and hepatitis C.
The move follows a decision by the chairwoman of the Lindsay tribunal to turn down a ministerial request to expand its terms of reference.
In a letter to the Attorney General, Judge Alison Lindsay said she believed it would be "fundamentally unfair" to the parties before the tribunal to alter its terms "at this very late stage". She added if the terms were amended in the manner suggested by the Minister, "it would be inevitable that this would bring about a very considerable delay in the completion of my report".
Mr Martin had requested that the chairwoman would consent to an expansion of the terms to allow the tribunal examine documents used in litigation in the US and now stored in a Florida depository. He also sought for the terms to be expanded to allow the tribunal seek voluntary disclosure from US pharmaceutical companies and use the American Freedom of Information Act to obtain other documentation.
Products supplied by US drugs companies are believed to have been responsible for infecting at least 96 haemophiliacs with HIV and many more with hepatitis C.
Asked whether he was disappointed with Judge Lindsay's decision, the Minister said she had made "strong arguments from her perspective". On the possibility of establishing a new tribunal to investigate the US angle, the Minister said he did not wish "to be raising hopes too much, but certainly strong arguments are being made now that people want to go the extra mile in terms of trying to find out in relation to the pharmaceutical companies and what went on overseas."
He added, however: "I would prefer in the first instance if the Lindsay tribunal could complete its work . . . its conclusions would then feed into any potentially new inquiry."
Mr Martin said he had asked the Attorney General to make inquiries about applying for access to documents in Florida ahead of the reported closure of the depository on November 1st.
He said he had also told the Irish Haemophilia Society during a meeting yesterday "we would be in a position to offer funding" to it if it was more effective if the society applied for access.
Mr Rosemary Daly, administrator of the IHS, said the onus was on the Minister to bring the matter forward and, if necessary, establish a new inquiry.
"We will stop at nothing until our members have the answers they deserve."
She added: "We are extremely disappointed with Judge Lindsay's decision, and we're frustrated that further progress has not been made since we had a meeting with the Minister three weeks ago."
Meanwhile, at the tribunal yesterday a HIV-infected haemophiliac criticised the Government for allowing so much time to lapse before attempting to find out the truth about the infection scandal.
He was one of three infected haemophiliacs who gave evidence to the tribunal yesterday.
