THE hepatitis C compensation tribunal has so far made awards totalling £30 million, the Minister for Health said in a written reply. The awards ranged from £15,200 to £332,756, the average being £113,000.

Mr Noonan told the Fianna Fail deputies, Mr Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central) and Mr Dermot Ahern (Louth), that the tribunal had received 1,664 applications, of which 1,512 were primary claimants, 86 were dependents and 66 carers.

In the 267 cases heard so far, the tribunal had made 169 lump sum awards and 96 provisional awards. Two claims were disallowed.