Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senators who contributed to this important debate on the Lindsay tribunal's report on what has been a most traumatic and appalling event in the history of Irish health care and for the haemophiliac community.

The tribunal has had a deep impact on the public consciousness. I am aware the report has generated much disappointment and anger but what will live in the memories of many people is the personal testimonies presented to the tribunal which were relayed faithfully in the national media, and RTÉ in particular. Paul Cunningham has done an enormous amount of work in terms of bringing the work of the tribunal to the public audience via the television medium. Other television channels and radio stations, Today FM and others, have focused significantly on the work of the tribunal and the issue involved. I have decided to publish the personal testimonies as a memorial to those who were brave enough to come forward and give evidence in what must have been very difficult and traumatic circumstances for them.

There were a significant number of contributions to the debate. A number of Senators referred to the methodology by which we should investigate issues such as this and whether the tribunal model is the best one. Senator Brian Hayes raised that issue and it is one that the Oireachtas and the Government should return to again in the future. I will return to it at a later time in a different debate. We should accept that there is no one model which is best equipped to deal with the variety of issues currently being dealt with under the 1921 Tribunals of Inquiry Act. The reflex action is to refer to the 1921 Tribunals of Inquiry Act which has many limitations, particularly in areas of health.