The terms of reference of the inquiry into why 28 blood donors were not told for some years they had hepatitis C will be discussed by the board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service today.
Last night, the patient advocacy groups Positive Action and Transfusion Positive met representatives of the IBTS to discuss the issue. The IBTS would not confirm the meeting was taking place because of a confidentiality agreement.
The inquiry, ordered by the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, will examine why 28 donors were not told they had tested positive for hepatitis C in 1991.
The donors lived in Munster and a dispute over the files on these donors led to the suspension last month of Dr Joan Power, who directs IBTS services in the region, by the IBTS chief executive, Mr Martin Hynes. That suspension was overturned within days by the board of the IBTS, which quickly moved to suspend Mr Hynes. He went to the High Court in an action which resulted in a settlement which will see him leave his post in October with a severance package reportedly worth €300,000.
Although it is a month since the Minister asked the board to consider the terms of reference of the inquiry, the board has still not agreed the terms.
No public indication has been given as to whether it will do so today.
The IBTS made no comment yesterday on a report on the website irishhealth.com suggesting that some board members had been hostile to the inquiry. According to the report, the hostility of some members was mentioned in a letter from Mr Hynes to a senior IBTS executive.