A FORMAL complaint against the Blood Transfusion Services Board has been made to the Garda by a woman infected with the hepatitis C virus.
The woman is understood to have been interviewed by gardai recently. Her complaint relates to the alleged negligence of the BTSB in manufacturing and issuing to her an anti D vaccine infected with the hepatitis C virus.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions has denied claims that a decision had been made not to institute prosecutions in relation to the use by the BTSB of contaminated blood.
In a statement issued yesterday, the DPP's Office insisted that it had not taken any such decision "nor has it ever received any file in the matter for its consideration".
The director confirmed that the office did receive a letter on behalf of a "particular group - Positive Action - in January 1995 inviting him to investigate the matter but had replied to the effect that it had no investigative function whatever.
The revelations of a Garda inquiry into an infected woman's complaints follow calls by the Fine Gael TD, Mr Alan Shatter, that all papers relating to the controversy should be examined by gardai and the DPP so that a criminal prosecution could be considered.
An explanation was required from the BTSB as to why full information concerning the background to the use of contaminated blood products only became available after a court order required it to discover all documents of relevance. If information was withheld, the public was entitled to know who was responsible for so behaving.
The political ramifications of the death of Mrs Brigid Ellen McCole, after the BTSB admitted liability and agreed to apologise in the High Court, are expected to be felt in the Dail again next week.
Sources indicated that the Minister for Health is likely to report on the controversy to Cabinet on Tuesday, the day that Mrs McCole's £175,000 compensation settlement is heard in the Dail. Mr Noonan will come under further Opposition pressure about the controversy as both Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats have stated their intention to pursue the issue.
The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Mrs Ma ire Geoghegan Quinn, called on the Government to grant an extended debate with a lengthy" questions and answer session. While Private Members Time is scheduled to deal with the topic on Tuesday and Wednesday, the mechanism does not allow questions to be directly posed and answers to be given, she said.
She has also tabled a series of questions to the Minister asking if a person or body was appointed earlier this year by the Government to examine the hepatitis C scandal and the BTSB's role in it. Government sources last night denied any knowledge of such an appointment.
Failing procurement of a special Dail debate in Government time, the Opposition will fall back on the Progressive Democrats Private Members Time to harry the Minister for Health.
The Progressive Democrats have tabled a motion condemning Mr Noonan for "his failure to accept political responsibility for the mishandling of the hepatitis C affair by the BTSB and his failure to ensure the accountability of those whose individual actions gave rise to appalling human suffering and to massive liability on the part of the State".
Sharply criticising the level of legal fees involved in Mrs McCole's settlement, the D leader, Ms Mary Harney, said it was scandalous" that the life of a mother of 12 was valued at only a fifth of the lawyers' remuneration. It is estimated that the legal fees came to £800,000.
She called on the Minister to explain why the BTSB had withheld its admission of liability until the final hours before Mrs McCole's death.