Dáil debates

Wednesday, 5 October 2022

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

12:12 pm

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome an esteemed visitor to the Gallery, Finola Cassidy, who is here representing the Irish Thalidomide Association. She is a constituent of mine and somebody the Taoiseach has also met. I pay tribute to Finola for her campaigning and advocacy work over many years. She was, as the Taoiseach knows, a central contributor to last night's powerful "Scannal" documentary which aired on RTÉ 1 about the thalidomide scandal.

The airing of that documentary came at a timely moment because next month marks the 61st anniversary of the international withdrawal of the drug thalidomide. It was removed from the market internationally in 1961 due to the number of babies who were being born with catastrophic or very serious disabilities to women who had been prescribed the drug while pregnant to treat symptoms. In this State, even after international withdrawal, the drug continued to be prescribed for some time, causing severe harm to many children who are now adults. Even children whose mothers only took the drug for one or two days suffered severe harm as a consequence.

We know from the powerful documentary and other sources that Government documents at the time show that authorities had considered making a public announcement earlier on the risks associated with the drug and did not do so. It remained in circulation for far too long in Ireland after international withdrawal. The reason can only be assumed or surmised. Clearly, the State bears responsibility for what happened to those children at the time and their mothers and families.

The mothers and children, in particular, who were harmed by a negligent Government are still waiting for an acknowledgement of the wrong done to them and a formal State apology. They were offered compensation by a Fianna Fáil Government in 2009 and I know there have been meetings since then. The Taoiseach has met survivors and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, met Finola Cassidy this morning. However, there has been no official attempt to address the stalemate in the situation. Over decades, the money and packages offered by Governments have not come near enough to meet the real cost of the harm caused and the life-changing disabilities experienced by so many survivors. I pay tribute to those survivors who continue to campaign on this.

Last year, the Minister for Health told the Dáil that work was under way to bring forward a Bill to provide health and personal supports to thalidomide survivors, but we have heard nothing since then. We know the State has been dragging out a defence in High Court proceedings ongoing on this issue. Earlier this year, I sought the support of Government parties for a cross-party motion on support for thalidomide survivors. I renew my appeal because I did not get support from Government parties.

I ask the Taoiseach to take the lead, in the last few months of his role at Taoiseach, fix the stalemate, ensure the State acknowledges the wrong done to thalidomide survivors and parents, issue an apology and ensure an adequate compensation and healthcare package is offered to those survivors who are now at an age where they desperately need supports.

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