Politicians and charity workers are seriously concerned about the health of a 57-year-old man, Mr Tom Sweeney, who has spent 20 days on hunger strike outside the Dáil in protest over the treatment of his claim for compensation in relation to abuse he suffered at two institutions.
It has emerged that third-party attempts to find a deal between Mr Sweeney and the Government stalled after he rejected a financial offer from the Taoiseach.
Mr Sweeney has been mounting his protest over his treatment at the Residential Institutions Redress Board, after an initial offer was cut by a third to less than 70,000 after he sought a full hearing.
Intermediaries, including the Archbishop of Dublin and Fianna Fáil politicians, have failed after an offer from the Department of the Taoiseach of in the region of 70,000 was rejected as insufficient.