James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

While I have listened to what the Minister of State has had to say, I believe he and the Minister should consider an apology because it would go a long way towards appeasing people who have been wronged. The State may not have made the drug, but agents and servants of the State administered it, and it was available in this country for a longer time than in other countries. Therefore, the State has a culpability in this area.

The State Claims Agency operates the clinical indemnity scheme. While it does great work, it can be quite adversarial in its nature. Would the Minister of State consider the Injuries Board as a body to assess the thalidomide claim? It might create a better atmosphere and bring about a different outcome. Victims of thalidomide are upset because the consultation process was merely a listening exercise rather than a hearing exercise. They were not heard.

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