The Irish Haemophilia Society has welcomed the announcement of a starting date for the tribunal of inquiry into HIV infection. However, it criticised the delay in drawing up the terms of reference.
The Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, yesterday said the tribunal would be established by April and would begin hearing evidence in June, and he would expect it to report by the autumn.
Ms Rosemary Daly, of the Irish Haemophilia Society, said the society had been in limbo waiting for the tribunal to begin, expecting it to begin in February it had made a number of provisions. They are seeking a meeting with Mr Cowen before the end of the week.
"As an organisation we cannot move on until this tribunal is held. We are completely focused on this, and the delay has meant that other things are suffering, including haemophilia care," she said.
The IHS met Mr Cowen on Friday, and Ms Daly said they were shown a document which simply confirmed the issues they had requested be dealt with when asked last October. "We do not know when we will see the terms of reference," she said.
In Tullamore yesterday Mr Cowen, who was inaugurating a new health board strategy for promoting increased physical activity, said that draft terms of reference had been drawn up but had not been finalised.
Following further consultation, he said, they would be sent to the Attorney General for his approval.
"We will sit down with the Irish Haemophilia Society this week and try and come to some conclusion," said Mr Cowen.
Ms Daly said there were a number of theories as to why the setting up of the tribunal was taking so long. "People with haemophilia have had a lot of difficulty getting the circumstances of their infection with HIV or hep C investigated. We were blocked out of the Finlay tribunal, and we have been waiting over a year for our own one to be set up. Naturally people are suspicious."
Mr Cowen denied that concerns about what might be revealed by the tribunal were the reason for its delay. "We want to make sure that we get workable terms of reference so that we can get answers to the questions that they are asking. Discovery of documents is going on at the moment, and lots of information is being collated concerning the length of time and the issues involved."
The society believes the tribunal should begin its investigation into the Blood Transfusion Service Board as far back as the mid1970s when their members became infected with hepatitis C. It should also focus on the 1980s when HIV infection occurred.
Speaking about the new Get Physical strategy for health boards, the chairman of the Office for Health Gain, Mr P.J. Fitzpatrick, said a central theme of the new strategy was the emphasis on co-ordination and partnership between health boards, as well as with statutory, voluntary and community groups. In this way, he said, it would be more effective in targeting and motivating various groups in the community.