Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the bona fides of the Minister of State, and if nothing were to come from this discussion other than perhaps a commitment from him to promote this issue with Government, I would be happy.

The response from the Minister lists the supports that are generally available within the health and education systems to children or young people with disabilities. The people in question here are people who are suffering from disabilities as a result of a vaccination given to them by the State. The State has a responsibility to address that situation. The Minister gave the organisation to understand that he would do that. He has given three different timescales for the introduction of a proposal to address the specific needs of those affected, but he has not honoured those commitments.

Having been involved for a number of years with the 33 thalidomide survivors and having heard the commitments made by the Minister, as a Deputy, when he and I served on the health committee in the previous Dáil, I believe the parents of children affected by narcolepsy have little reason to be optimistic the Minister will address their problems if he proceeds along the same lines along which he has proceeded to date in dealing with the survivors of thalidomide. We would, however, have some confidence if we thought the Minister of State would raise, promote and make progress on this matter. We could take some little hope and optimism from this debate based on that.

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