A group representing over 200 people infected with hepatitis C withdrew from the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board yesterday. The Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) claimed the tribunal was not dealing with the issues which affected them.
The society called on the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, to ask the Dail to broaden the terms of reference of the inquiry.
But Mr Noonan, expressing his disappointment at the society's decision, said it "would be totally inappropriate for me as Minister for Health to seek to influence the tribunal in the discharge of its mandate, given to it by the Oireachtas".
Mr Noonan hoped the society might reconsider its decision and continue to participate.
However, Mr Brian O'Mahony, chairman of the society, said that in practice the terms of reference of the inquiry excluded most people who were infected through blood and blood products. He said the 210 people the society represented were the most frequent users of blood products and those most reliant on them, but they were not being served by this inquiry.
That group included up to 10 children who were infected with hepatitis C between 1985 and 1990 - a period when blood products were supposed to be have been safe.
"What do we tell their parents about this tribunal? They want to know how and why their children were infected but they will not find that out within the present terms of reference," said Mr O'Mahony.
Mr Justice Thomas Finlay was advised of the withdrawal by letter. The withdrawal was not raised during yesterday's hearing.
The society may seek a judicial review or one of the parents may take a High Court action, Mr O'Mahony said. He said their primary objective is to have safe blood and blood products available for the entire community.
"Our reason for seeking representation at the tribunal was to help ensure that the mistakes made in the past were identified, so that changes can be made to ensure that, in the future, any man, woman or child in the country could receive blood or any blood produce with confidence," he said.
The IHS, along with the Irish Kidney Association and Transfusion Positive, representing those infected with the virus through transfusions, sought a judicial review in the High Court after they were initially refused representation.
Ms Rosemary Daly, administrator of the IHS, likened its limited representation to "being invited to the table but not invited to eat".
The two other groups indicated yesterday that they would continue their representation at the tribunal.
Mr O'Mahony said that 210 people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C and 62 people with haemophilia had died as a result of blood products. But when the society asked questions at the tribunal relating to this area, witnesses would reply that they were not prepared or had not expected that subject to come up. It had been refused access to tribunal documents.
The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on Health, Mrs Maire Geoghegan Quinn, said different groups had "separate legitimate questions that need to be asked and pressed at the tribunal".
She called on the Government to amend the terms of reference. This could be raised during a debate on the interim report of the tribunal which was published last week.
Mrs Geogheghan Quinn said she also wanted the terms of the tribunal to be amended so that all the questions raised by the family of the late Mrs Brigid McCole could be answered.