One of the major obstacles to an early date being set for oral hearings of the Haemophilia Infection Inquiry has been overcome, following a decision by the tribunal to allow all parties access to documents submitted to the inquiry.
The U-turn by the tribunal team, which will investigate how 260 people with haemophilia became infected with HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products since the mid-1970s, came in the face of a threat of judicial review.
The Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) indicated last month that it would seek a judicial review of the tribunal's decision to allow access only to documents the tribunal believed were relevant.
The society was also anxious to have the evidence of its infected members heard first, given their state of ill-health, and it had asked that these witnesses be questioned first by their own legal team before being cross-examined. Their request was turned down by the tribunal chairwoman, Judge Alison Lindsay, in December when she said the tribunal would decide the order in which witnesses were called.
However, The Irish Times has learned that the tribunal is now happy to have the evidence of infected persons, from whom statements are being taken at present, heard first.
The only other issue concerning the IHS now is the issue of costs, on which they have instituted judicial review proceedings. The society wants its costs paid by the State on an on-going basis but Judge Lindsay said she was unable to decide on costs until the tribunal had reached its conclusions.
The Minister for Health then stepped in and indicated that he would be prepared to discuss the issue of costs with the society but agreement could not be reached.