Dr Rory O'Hanlon is to seek permission to correct the Dáil record because a speech he gave while Minister for Health in 1989 was inaccurate. The Fianna Fáil Chairman told the Lindsay Tribunal today that he would approach the Ceann Comhairle and, if deemed appropriate, he would correct the information he gave concerning haemophilia and HIV.
In his Dáil speech in 1989, Dr O'Hanlon unknowingly, and inaccurately, stated that Irish blood products had not infected haemophiliacs with HIV. Dr O'Hanlon also told the Tribunal today that he would have expected a claim by the Haemophilia Society that two of its members were infected by Irish products to have been investigated.
The allegation was contained in a departmental memo of April 1989, which was prepared by official Michael Lyons in advance of the Dáil debate. It stated that it was a matter of "concern" that the IHS was claiming two of its members were HIV positive due to Pelican House-made Factor 9 clotting agent.
Dr O'Hanlon said that he could not recollect receiving the document, but he added that, had it been brought to his attention, he would have made further inquiries. He said that he also believed that the Department should have followed up such an allegation. This does not appear to have happened.
Earlier, the Tribunal heard that Rory O'Hanlon did not inquire into a newspaper article that suggested Irish blood products might have infected haemophiliacs with HIV. The cabinet considered the article in 1991 when determining how much compensation should be paid to haemophiliacs. The mistaken belief was that imported blood products had caused the infections.
Dr O'Hanlon told the Tribunal today that the article was five years old when he first saw it in 1991. He said that he felt that, if there was anything in the story, it would have emerged by that time. The Lindsay Tribunal has already heard how the Department of Health had inaccurate information that all haemophiliacs infected with HIV had contracted the virus from imported blood products. Dr O'Hanlon said today that it was "deeply regrettable" that he presented this inaccurate information to the Dáil in 1989 when the Blood Bank had cogent evidence that this was not the case.
The misinformation continued to be believed up to 1991, when the Cabinet came to discuss a compensation deal with 60 haemophiliacs who were suing the State. The Tribunal heard that the Cabinet received a copy of an Irish Times article in 1986 suggesting that native blood may have been responsible for infecting haemophiliacs. Such news, if proven to be correct, could have increased the State's liability.
Dr O'Hanlon, who is currently Leas Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, was also Minister for Health when the State agreed a £7.7m no fault compensation settlement with infected haemophiliacs in 1991. Some haemophiliacs have told the Tribunal that they felt the settlement was not good, but accepted it as the best offer available at the time. The agreement is being reopened by the current Government, which has committed itself to giving more money.
