Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Foetal anticonvulsant syndrome is a condition that affects children born to women who were prescribed the anti-epileptic drug Epilim during pregnancy. Children exposed to this drug in the womb have a higher chance of genetic malformations compared to the general population. An additional 40% of children exposed to Epilim experience developmental delays and have a three to five times greater risk of developing autism and ADHD. In comments made at Epilepsy Ireland's national conference, a neurologist described the impact of Epilim as much worse than thalidomide and much more widespread. Indeed, we know following a statement from the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in 2019 that between 153 and 341 children born in Ireland will have experienced a major genetic malformation due to unnecessary and avoidable exposure to Epilim. The HSE also estimates that 1,250 families have been impacted since the 1970s in Ireland.

Progress on identifying how this could have happened seemed to be taking place when, in November 2020, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, issued a statement in which he committed to prioritising an independent inquiry. This followed a meeting with Epilepsy Ireland and the Organisation for Anticonvulsant Syndromes Ireland. However, it was only last week that the draft terms of reference were drawn up, with no indication as to whether the format of the inquiry will be non-statutory or statutory. If it is non-statutory, the parents of women and children want and deserve to know why, especially given the public interest and the potential recommendations which could be made to help to prevent an issue like this from happening again with future medications.

These families have already been through enough, and I think we can agree on that. They must see meaningful action taken from an inquiry, not just a report on a shelf. These families need to know what services are being put in place to help them. Can the Tánaiste outline exactly what services these families can avail of? Will he commit to doing everything possible to assist these families, who need urgent and immediate assistance beyond the promised inquiry and beyond a report on a shelf?

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