MRS Maire Geoghegan Quinn bade farewell to the frontline of national politics last night with the advice to her fellow TDs that the system should serve the people and not the other way round.

In her last speech as Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, she criticised the Government for refusing to accept her party's private member's motion to widen the terms of reference of the hepatitis C tribunal to investigate haemophiliacs' issues. The Government's proposal to establish a new tribunal of inquiry when the hepatitis C tribunal reports was carried by 73 votes to 57.

Flanked by her party leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, and members of the front bench, she accused the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, of behaving in a belligerent manner. However, to remarks of "hear, hear" from her colleagues, she criticised the picket of the Minister's home by members of Youth Defence.

After her speech, she sat down to applause from her colleagues and the PD spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz O'Donnell. She had a long conversation with Mr Ahern, and they were joined for a time by Mr Michael McDowell of the PDs. When the vote was over, the curtain had effectively come down on the political career of the Galway West TD who was once tipped to be the State's first woman Taoiseach.

Earlier, Ms O'Donnell described the Minister's proposal as "a mixture of political cuteness and evasion".

It sought to detract political criticisms of the failure to deal with the haemophiliacs' issues by a weak promise to look at their concerns through another tribunal which was to deal specifically with HIV infection. It also conveniently skirted the main objective of Mrs Geoghegan Quinn's motion in two ways.

"This is the same cold face of the State to which the anti D victims have become accustomed. The same emotional bankruptcy which marked the State's response to the anti D victims over a four year period is now evident in its treatment of haemophiliacs.

"Consider the human position of these victims. We are talking about seriously ill and some dying people. It is worth remembering that it was only the death of Mrs Brigid McCole and the individual circumstances of her infection by the BTSB that the State was shamed into holding a tribunal at all.

"We have learned from the tribunal thus far and evidence from the Minister and his predecessor that there was a determination not to have a tribunal of inquiry. It is easy to see why there was such a resistance to a tribunal now."

Ms Kathleen Lynch (DL, Cork North Central) said the Government's decision to establish a new tribunal was not a politically expedient decision. "It is, however, the correct decision and I believe this will be borne out in the long term."

She said no tribunal could undo the grave damage which had been done, restore the health of those infected or the peace of mind of those who feared they might have been infected.

"But we can ensure that in the future no one, through the fault of the State or its agencies, will haven to suffer as Mrs Brigid McCole and others have suffered and continue to suffer," she said.