The Department of Health and Children has rejected suggestions it is engaged in a vendetta against Dr Joan Power, the regional director for the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in Munster.
Dr Power, who is widely credited with exposing the Hepatitis C scandal, said on RTÉ's Prime Time this week that she felt she was being targeted by the Department because of her role as "whistle-blower".
She said that after she told the Finlay tribunal that she had made a mistake in not immediately informing 28 donors of tests indicating they had Hepatitis C, "an official of the Department of Health told a senior colleague of mine that they had me on this issue . . . I was clearly told I would be buried on this issue".
A statement from the Department yesterday said: "The Department refutes the allegation that it is engaged in a vendetta against any person or group of persons in the Irish Blood Transfusion Service arising out of the Hepatitis C controversy."
It said its efforts in regard to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service were focused on two key objectives.
The first was "ensuring that the victims of this tragic episode receive fair compensation and have access to health services appropriate to their needs".
The second was "supporting the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in achieving and maintaining internationally accepted standards of safety".
The most recent controversy concerning Dr Power arises from her delay in informing 28 Munster donors that they had tested positive for Hepatitis C. This is to be the subject of an inquiry, though attempts to agree a format for the inquiry have so far failed.
In June she was suspended over issues which arose when the IBTS headquarters in Dublin sought information from her on the 28 people concerned.
She was suspended by the chief executive officer, Mr Martin Hynes, after she said she would give the information to the board chairman but not to the IBTS national medical director.
Her suspension was almost immediately lifted by the board of the IBTS which shortly afterwards suspended Mr Hynes.
Mr Hynes took the issue to the High Court and an agreement was later worked out under which he will leave the IBTS in October with a severance package.
On the Prime Time programme, Dr Power said: "I would certainly say I have made mistakes. Which of us hasn't?"