The National Women's Council says it is angry that Ms Brigid Ellen McCole had to pursue a court case in the last few months of her life to achieve justice.
The council's chairwoman, Ms Noreen Byrne, said the hepatitis C saga had been appalling, with "a litany of bad decisions shattering the lives of women and their families. The resistance to admitting responsibility has been an additional burden, and of itself undermines confidence in State institutions."
Ms Byrne questioned why over 1,000 women, some of whom have been seriously ill, have been "forced to confront the State and a major institution such as the Blood Transfusion Services Board to have their situations acknowledged."
She said it had to be asked whether much of the information about the hepatitis C contamination would have come to light if women such as Ms McCole and members of the campaigning group, Positive Action, had not pursued their actions.
She hoped that "many lessons regarding accountability and transparency in health services would be fully implemented, particularly in light of the forthcoming national policy and plan for women's health".
Positive Action, which represents 700 women infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products, said Ms McCole was a "very courageous woman who endured great suffering due to her illness and was supported with great love and affection by her family."
The group said it has always sought an apology and the truth for infected women and will comment fully on the hepatitis C issue after the High Court statement in Ms McCole's case next Tuesday.
The group declined to comment any further on the current hepatitis C controversy as a mark of respect to Ms McCole.
The McCole family issued a statement last night requesting privacy. "There is enough information out there in a general sense and the family has nothing to say about this whole thing," a spokeswoman said.
At least 400 infected people have issued legal proceedings to date against the BTSB. This number is expected to increase when the BTSB admits negligence in court in Ms McCole's case next week. A spokesman for the BTSB said there are no cases near trial.
The hepatitis C compensation tribunal set up by the Government in September 1995 to compensate people infected by contaminated blood has received 1,631 applications. Up to the end of last September, it had heard 140 cases, of which 139 received awards and one was rejected, according to the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan.