The Minister for Health refusal to extend the closing date for the Hepatitis C tribunal is a sign of the "minimalist" approach he and the State are adopting on the issue, according to the victims' representative group, Positive Action.
"Minister Noonan won't let women know the full truth but he still insists on forcing them into a tribunal that is flawed and unfair," said the group's chairwoman, Ms Jane O'Brien.
She asked why.. Mr Noonan was insisting n the June 17th closing date for tribunal applications when he said that a scheduled High Court action in October would serve as a judicial inquiry into what happened when the Blood Transfusion Service Board allegedly manufactured a contaminated anti D product.
The Minister had not responded to a letter from the group seeking a meeting this week, she added.