A 51-year-old man went public yesterday to speak about how the hepatitis C virus had affected his life so that people would be able to put a human face on the tragedy which saw 260 haemophiliacs in the State infected by contaminated blood products.
Mr Bernard Smullen, from Newbridge, Co Kildare, was the first infected person to speak at the haemophilia tribunal without any restrictions being placed on his identity.
The father of five said the infection had resulted in him being passed over for promotion and he lived with the constant fear that his condition would deteriorate.
"My brother is haemophiliac and has hepatitis C. As a consequence of his illness he had to sell his business, he had a nervous breakdown and continues to receive psychiatric treatment. My fear is, will it affect me in the same way."
Even now, he also has fears about other infections he might pick up when he gets treatment for a bleed. "They tell us now the treatment is synthetically produced but nobody knows," he said, adding that the incubation period for CJD was 20 years. "So how do we know there will be no more viruses?" he asked.
Mr Smullen spoke about living with depression for many years. As a result, some of his children became somewhat alienated from him. "I had become quite contrary and difficult to live with at home. My family had become worried about my state of mind," he said.
When he found out the reason for his behaviour was hepatitis C it was a relief. But the initial diagnosis came as a shock. "Originally, when I escaped the HIV virus I felt relieved. When I discovered I had hepatitis C it was like being ambushed," he said.
He first received the Factor 8 clotting agent after he was injured in a road traffic accident in 1980. He was diagnosed with hepatitis in the same year but did not know what type. He found out he had hepatitis C in the early 1990s when researching his condition for the hepatitis C compensation tribunal.
"I don't know if the consequences of it were ever fully discussed with me other than that we should take certain precautions in our intimate life and with toothbrushes", he said.
Prior to the diagnosis he enjoyed sport. He was secretary and chairman of a soccer club in Newbridge but had to resign in 1989 as it became too much for him. He continued to see a psychologist and worried about his wife becoming infected.
He said he was employed by the Turf Club and it would be expected he would socialise with people he did business with but he was unable to do so.
Mr Smullen said he believed somebody knew he had hepatitis C going back to the early 1980s but he had to find out about it by coincidence.