THE former Minister for Health, Mr Howlin, will appear before the hepatitis C tribunal of inquiry this morning to defend his handling of the contamination controversy.
Mr Howlin, who now holds the Environment portfolio, is expected to explain why he opted to set up an expert group in March 1994, rather than a tribunal.
The issue has become more contentious over the past few days. Conflicting evidence has been heard from Mr Donal Devitt, assistant secretary of the Department; Mr John Hurley, former secretary of the Department; and Mr Howlin's special adviser, Dr Tim Collins.
Mr Devitt insisted that he made a strong recommendation to set up a tribunal. Mr Hurley said that both options were discussed fully and the expert group chosen, while Dr Collins said he could not recall any "strong recommendation" being made for a tribunal.
It is also expected that the Minister will be questioned about why he did not reconsider his decision about a tribunal when it became clear in the months afterwards that the Blood Transfusion Service Board officials were not cooperating with the expert group.
His appearance comes after a dramatic development yesterday afternoon.
His special adviser Dr Collins was asked to explain a phone call that he had made to the Minister yesterday, in which he told Mr Howl in the evidence of the former secretary of the Department, Mr John Hurley, that morning "did not absolutely shaft you".
The call was made on a mobile phone at lunchtime yesterday.
It came to light after the tribunal was nearly half an hour late restarting following the afternoon recess.
A clerical officer at the tribunal, Mr Tom Walsh, was sworn in and gave evidence of overhearing the call Dr Collins, a Labour party candidate in the Wicklow by election, made in the tribunal hallway.
Dr Collins, explained Mr Walsh, had spoken about the evidence given in the morning by Mr Hurley.
Mr Walsh then reported the conversation to a tribunal solicitor. He said he heard Dr Collins speak to someone about the evidence.
In his evidence Dr Collins agreed he had had the conversation.
"Yes, that is what I said. It is important to realise that this is a highly sensitive issue. The Minister asked me and I told him," he told the tribunal.
It was important to place his version of events and the Minister's on the record, he said, adding that he had used a "colloquial phrase" in a private conversation.
Mr Howlin is also expected to face questions about why he did not actively pursue the issue of another anti D infection, apart from patient X's in the 1970s, which occurred from 1989 to 1991.