A FIANNA Fail demand to extend next Monday's deadline for hepatitis C victims to submit their claims to the compensation tribunal was rejected by the Minister for Health. "There is no valid reason for doing so."
Mr Noonan was responding to the party's private member's motion, which proposed that the deadline be extended until three months after the final court judgment was delivered in the compensation case. Mr Noonan said the tribunal was operating successfully and was thus ensuring that the Government's commitment to provide fair compensation for those persons who had contracted hepatitis C from blood products or blood transfusion was being honoured.
The operation of the tribunal was subject to review and, if required, he would use his powers to ensure that it was at all times meeting the needs of persons infected with hepatitis C.
Moving the motion, the Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Mrs Maire Geoghegan Quinn, accused Mr Noonan of taking a minimalist approach to the affair. "Here again this evening, we find ourselves in a scenario where the Minister is steadfastly refusing to budge on an issue of major importance to the victims. This is despite the clear wish of the bulk of those victims for an extension of the deadline for applications to the compensation tribunal."
There were many reasons why the deadline should be extended, not least of which was the fact that only about one third, or just over 600, of the victims had applied to the tribunal, she said.
"While I imagine some who have not applied so far are waiting to see the outcome of this debate and to see if Government deputies will honour the commitments given to victims about supporting the extension of the deadline I believe that even when the June 17th deadline has passed, we will find that many, many applications remain outstanding."
Debate on the motion continues tonight.