A KEY figure in the hepatitis C contamination scandal has not been called to give evidence to the tribunal of inquiry.
A number of employees from the Department of Health appeared before the tribunal this week, but Mr John Hurley - who was Secretary of the Department at the time the BTSB informed it of the hepatitis C infection - was not included in the witness list.
On Monday Mr James Nugent, counsel for the tribunal, said that from the beginning Department officials "from assistant secretary down" had advised Mr Howlin, the then Minister, to set up a judicial inquiry.
Mr Howlin denied that he received such advice. According to sources he contacted Mr Hurley, who was in Geneva, by telephone this week.
Asked for his recollection, Mr Hurley gave an account of events that tallied with Mr Howlin's.
Mr Hurley, now a secretary in the Department of Finance, was not contactable yesterday.
Once the infection of anti-D immunoglobulin was made known to the Department in February 1994 the issue, according to sources, was dealt with centrally by Mr Howlin, Mr Hurley, Dr Tim Collins, the Minister's special adviser, and Mr Donal Devitt, assistant secretary, who is due to give evidence next week.
Mr Howl in, who now holds the Environment portfolio, is due to give evidence the week after next.
Department of Health officials who gave evidence this week include the present secretary Mr Jerry O'Dwyer, Dr Rosemary Boothman, the Department representative on the board of the BTSB and Mr Frank Ahern, principal officer with responsibility for liaising with the BTSB.