Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This is not just an issue of bad taste. It is very important we recognise that the concerns of Opposition Deputies are that, as a result of the passage of this legislation, fellow human beings with real and genuine cases will be excluded from their rightful entitlement. That is what is at the core of this debate. It is vexatious, to say the least, that we are being driven on to ground of the Tánaiste's creation in her efforts to battle out this legislation. We should not be addressing the sections in question because they should not be in the legislation.

While I understand Deputy McManus's amendment and accept the point she has made, I believe she will also agree it is most unfortunate that we are addressing these matters. We should definitely only address this issue as a single, stand-alone Bill. The commitment given to the various campaigning groups and their understanding throughout the process was that this legislation was about insurance. What are we dealing with here? We are dealing with amendments to previous legislation on hepatitis C and the compensation tribunal. That is not what this legislation should address. We are now forced to discuss tweaking and the introduction of safety measures to avoid the worst case scenario presenting for sufferers, who for years have experienced agony and distress, things that are very hard to measure but which we all have the capacity to imagine.

One must wonder what has been going on in the Department of Health and Children. It is interesting that the Tánaiste, in her concluding address on Second Stage, spoke of a forked tongue approach whereby the Department in its dealing with the representative groups could not possibly expose to them that it was working on another level to ensure the so-called public interest and greater good were not being compromised. What is she saying? Is she suggesting for a moment — I will continue regardless of whether she is listening — that unscrupulous people are queuing up, among those who have been recognised heretofore as validly suffering as a direct result of being poisoned by infected batches of blood or blood products such as anti-D, to wrongly claim assistance under this insurance scheme? That is an outrageous proposal but it is exactly what the Tánaiste's concluding remarks on Second Stage suggest.

Having been circulated with the relevant details, thanks to the Haemophilia Society and others, Deputies are aware of the numbers of people exposed to the various infected products. Where are the 15,000, 16,000 or 17,000 people who were cited? The imaginary body of unscrupulous people seeking to claim that to which they are not entitled is not registering on any Richter scale. As has been spelt out, this matter involves a very small number of people who have been genuinely identified and are already recognisable within the overall equation. Nothing in what the Tánaiste has said and nothing in the proposed amendments in any way ameliorates the fact that the legislation takes a restrictive approach to which unfortunate, tragic people will fall further victim because the Tánaiste is not approaching this matter with the heart that is necessary. I cannot co-operate with the further passage of this legislation. I will oppose it in every way I can because it is fundamentally flawed and wrong. In line with my colleagues I propose my amendments Nos. 3 and 5, which mirror those of Deputies McManus and Twomey in this grouping. I urge all Deputies to support these amendments. It is not too late for Government Deputies, backbench or otherwise, to take a courageous, principled stand which will win the applause of victims of this tragedy and people who want truth and justice across our society.

I cannot co-operate with the further passage of this legislation. I will oppose it in every way I can because it is fundamentally flawed and wrong. In line with my colleagues I propose my amendments Nos. 3 and 5, which mirror those of Deputies McManus and Twomey in this grouping. I urge all Deputies to support these amendments. It is not too late for Government Deputies, back-bench or otherwise, to take a courageous, principled stand which will win the applause of victims of this tragedy and people who want truth and justice across our society.

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