Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I hail from the heart of the Defence Forces in south County Kildare. The Curragh is home to 1,500 troops at any given time with practically every member of the Defence Forces receiving training in the Defence Forces training centre at some stage in their career and many receiving training prior to overseas deployment. We are extremely proud of our military tradition in my part of the country. There is not a family I know that does not have some connection or affiliation with the forces. The links and interactions with the communities right across the county are absolutely huge. It is incredibly difficult for me to reconcile the pride and honour we should feel for our Defence Forces with the disregard being shown for the health of serving and retired members by the continued use of Lariam. I have heard on many occasions from the Minister of State the line he trots out on the dangers of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

While we all understand those dangers, alternatives are available and I know the Minister of State used one of them. It is long past time he accepted the damage Lariam has wreaked on many soldiers and, indirectly, their families. The side effects of the drug are well documented and can be severe. They include anxiety, depression, paranoia and suicidal behaviour. Lariam must become the drug of last resort rather than of choice for soldiers serving overseas.

I am happy to support the Sinn Féin motion. We, in the Fianna Fáil Party, have long believed that the use of Lariam has caused serious problems for members of the Defence Forces, a view shared by current and retired members of the Defence Forces who have spoken to me. As far back as 2010, serious concerns were raised about the use of Lariam as an anti-malarial drug for members of the Defence Forces serving in Africa and other areas where malaria is a problem. There have been serious indications in the intervening seven years that the drug can increase the risk of mental health problems for those who use it. In 2015, the British Ministry of Defence acknowledged that 1,000 ex-servicemen and women were suffering severe psychiatric and mental health problems as a result of being prescribed Lariam. Similarly, an RTE "Prime Time" investigation broadcast in 2013 suggested the risk of suicide was between three and five times higher among Defence Forces personnel who were prescribed the drug than among those who were not prescribed it. A former British army chief has also apologised for its use. It is extraordinary that the Defence Forces continue to use Lariam given that the chairman of Roche, the company that manufactures the drug, has stated that the use of Lariam against malaria is no longer necessary owing to its side effects and the availability of other drugs.

The Action Lariam for Irish Soldiers group, whose members I have met several times, stated that new cases of serving and former Defence Forces personnel suffering ill effects after taking the drug, up to and including suicidal ideation, were continuing to emerge. The campaign against the indiscriminate use of Lariam has been raging for more than 20 years, yet the Department will not take responsibility and insist that the Defence Forces medical corps only use the drug when no alternative is available.

Successive Ministers have cited the fact that no member of the Defence Forces has died of malaria in the past ten years as a reason for the success of its policy. As recently as last month, the Minister noted that it is policy to have personnel individually screened for fitness for overseas service and medical suitability, in other words, a medical risk assessment for Lariam is carried out on an individual basis. The choice of overseas deployment is a medical decision made by the medical officers in the Defence Forces. While this policy may be practised, it is clearly not working. I know of serving personnel who will not admit to side effects caused by Lariam for fear they will be deemed unfit to serve. It is not, therefore, a fair playing pitch. Added to this, we have reports of Air Corps personnel being exposed to dangerous chemicals and a large number of soldiers at the rank of private - 20% of the total - having to claim family income supplement. These issues militate against recruitment campaigns to attract new recruits to the Defence Forces.

In recent months, I have met wives and partners of Defence Forces personnel and the general feeling among them is one of having been abandoned, let down and overlooked. The Minister must step back and consider the manner in which soldiers are being treated on a number of levels. Retention of personnel, as the Minister acknowledged, is at a critical point. Bringing in new recruits and having excessively large classes of cadets will not address leakage from the Defence Forces. Other options are available. For example, treating serving personnel with respect, having a duty of care for their health when serving at home and abroad and no longer having a dangerous drug such as Lariam being prescribed unnecessarily could go some way towards reassuring soldiers and their families that the State they serve has their back and cares. I commend the motion.

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