The tribunal of inquiry into the contamination with HIV and hepatitis C of blood products given to haemophiliacs is likely to be set up by the end of the year.
This follows the conclusion of discussions between the Minister for Health and the Irish Haemophilia Society, where they agreed on the matters the society wants to see addressed, according to Mr Cowen.
The Minister said he will now bring these to the Attorney General, asking him to draw up the terms of reference for the tribunal. "It is important to get it right," he told The Irish Times yesterday.
Mr Cowen said he will bring the proposed terms of reference back to the IHS for its approval before bringing them to Government for its approval. Before finally bringing them to the Dail he will refer back to the IHS again on procedural matters, he said. He hoped to do this in the next Dail term, and have the tribunal "up and running" by the end of the year.
The tribunal will not deal with the question of compensation for the more than 200 haemophilia sufferers who were infected with HIV, hepatitis C, or both by the contaminated blood products. It will examine the whole decision-making process concerning the manufacture and importation of the blood products, to ensure it never happens again, Mr Cowen said.
Asked how the Government would deal with the question of compensation, he said that already there were a number of civil actions, which he did not want to pre-empt. "We'll see how the tribunal pans out," he said.
Mr Cowen also pointed out that the hepatitis C compensation tribunal already existed and was working well. Three more people would be appointed to it next week.