PRESSURE is increasing on the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, to increase the offer of aggravated damages to people infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products. The heads of the Bill to put the compensation tribunal on a statutory basis will be published today.
Positive Action, the group representing women infected through anti D immunoglobulin, sent hand delivered letters to Ministers yesterday urging that their demand for higher compensation be addressed at last night's Cabinet meeting. The Government has offered a 15 per cent top up to ordinary compensation awards, but Positive Action, Transfusion Positive and the Irish Kidney Association have said that they want the offer increased.
The Irish Kidney Association has asked for a 25 per cent top up, and Transfusion Positive has sought 20 per cent. It is believed that Positive Action initially requested 30 per cent but has now dropped 5 per cent.
The matter was discussed at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday but the groups received no communication from Mr Noonan afterwards. Yesterday Positive Action sent a letter to all Ministers urging that the matter be deal with quickly.
However, according to Government sources, it is not going to be addressed again until next Tuesday and the offer of 15 per cent is unlikely to change.
Ms Jane O'Brien, Chairwoman of Positive Action, said yesterday that there had been further communications from the Department of Health. The group, she said, was still considering its position and awaiting a response from the Minister".
Ms Maura Long, the Chairwoman of Transfusion Positive, said the group was surprised not to have had further contact from the Department of Health and was going to make contact today.
"We told Mr Noonan last week that we wanted 20 per cent and he told us that he would have to return to the Cabinet to see if the offer could be raised. We expected to, hear back from him before this" Ms Long said.
The chief executive of the Irish Kidney Association, Ms Patricia Doherty, said her members were keeping their cool and awaiting the publication of the heads of the Bill.