The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, reached agreement with the Irish Haemophilia Society last night on the Bill which allows for additional payments to be made to haemophiliacs infected with HIV.
The overall cost of this new compensation package, involving payments to people infected with HIV and hepatitis C and their relatives, is expected to be an additional €110 million, adding to the estimated €460 million already paid in compensation to people infected with both diseases via contaminated blood products.
However, difficulties remain with Positive Action which represents women infected with hepatitis C through anti-D, and Transfusion Positive, representing men, women and children, infected by contaminated blood products.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, had meetings with both groups last night and said he would consider their concerns overnight. The hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Amendment Bill 2002 is expected to complete all stages in the Dáil today before going to the Seanad tomorrow.
Following the meeting Ms Paula Kealy of Positive Action said they were very concerned the Bill contained discriminations which were "wholly unjustified". They believe the Bill would introduce discrimination between HIV and hepatitis C victims in the manner in which their claims would be dealt with in future.
"Whereas the partners of HIV victims are to be entitled to bring claims for loss of consortium and impairment of sexual relations, this is not being extended to the partners of hepatitis C victims."
Equally important, they argue, is that the Bill proposes that where the children and spouses of deceased HIV victims are to be entitled to compensation for loss of society, care, companionship and affection of the deceased, "this entitlement is not being extended to the children and spouses of hepatitis C victims who die".
They said there was no basis for making a difference between the entitlements of the partners and dependants of the victims of "these equally insidious viruses".
Ms Maura Long, chairwoman of Transfusion Positive, said they welcomed the significant improvements in the Bill. However, she said they stressed the importance of making all the advantages in this Bill available to all those who suffered.
The Irish Haemophilia Society had been concerned that the Bill failed to extend the scope of compensation for their members who suffered from both hepatitis C and HIV.
They feared that a person who received compensation for contracting hepatitis C could have this taken into account if they went to seek compensation for being infected with HIV.
The society was unavailable for comment last night but it is understood that this difficulty has been sorted out through an amendment being made to the Bill.