A proposal in the late 1970s to prepare a leaflet for haemophiliacs setting out the risks of contracting hepatitis from imported blood-clotting agents was not acted upon, the tribunal heard.
At a meeting of the National Haemophilia Services Co-ordinating Committee in October 1979 the problem of hepatitis was referred to and minutes of the meeting noted "consideration should be given to the preparation of a leaflet setting out basic facts regarding home therapy and the risk of hepatitis".
Prof Ian Temperley, former director of the National Haemophilia Treatment Centre and a former member of the co-ordinating committee, was questioned about the leaflet by the solicitor for the Irish Haemophilia Society, Mr Raymond Bradley, yesterday. He said he did not remember any leaflet being prepared.
Asked by Mr Bradley who would have been responsible for its preparation, Prof Temperley said: "I suppose it could be argued that I would be responsible but I don't know".
Prof Temperley said earlier he understood that 189 haemophiliacs in the State became infected with hepatitis C from contaminated blood products.
He was also asked about a meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Blood Transfusion Service Board that he attended in June 1983. The meeting noted that the frequency of hepatitis B in haemophiliacs was causing concern.
Mr Bradley asked why this was so. Prof Temperley replied: "I can't understand that, to be quite honest with you".
Mr Bradley suggested to him that hepatitis B was used as a marker for HIV in the early years and this was why hepatitis B was causing the committee concern.
Prof Temperley said hepatitis B was very common but there had been no particular increase in its incidence at this time (1983).
Questioned about plans by the BTSB to produce its own concentrates to replace imported ones in the early 1980s, Prof Temperley said he received very little information on the project, which was subsequently abandoned in favour of collecting Irish plasma and shipping it abroad to be made into concentrates.
He said sufficient concentrate was made at Pelican House to treat up to 15 patients successfully but the problem seemed to be with advancing on to large-scale production. He believed this would have needed extra funding and expertise from abroad.