THE Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, yesterday signed the order establishing the consultative council on hepatitis C. He also announced he had approved funding of £1 million for the Health Research Board.
The consultative council and the funding were promised in the health-care package agreed by the Minister with four representative groups, Positive Action, Transfusion Positive, the Irish Haemophilia Society and the Irish Kidney Association, which are to be represented on the 16-member council.
The council will advise the Minister on all aspects of hepatitis C, particularly on the organisation, delivery and confidentiality of health and counselling services. It will also monitor those infected.
The Health Research Board will fund eight research projects. The most significant is a special hepatitis C research unit which will involve St Vincent's Hospital, St James's Hospital/Trinity, University College Dublin and St Patrick's College, Maynooth.