Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I accept it was acknowledged that 240 people did not receive an adequate standard of care. The problem is that anyone who does not meet these criteria, as the Minister of State said in the reply, is free to pursue a case separately with the HSE.

An example of what we are dealing with in north Kerry in particular is the case of one young fellow who was a talented footballer, who had a social anxiety that was the most serious, was prescribed with Risperidone. He put on four or five stone. He was a talented footballer but he hardly leaves his room now. His life has been ruined. He is in his late 20s. He has lost contact with all of his peers. That is a case which is not included as part of the scheme. It is hard to understand why it cannot be.

I know there was a small audit of 50 sample files. I was arguing that there should be a full review of all files. Some 16 out of 50 cases of concern have been identified but not all of those are included in the scheme. Why not save the State some money and expand the scheme and allow these people who have been wronged by the State - the State has been seriously negligent in their treatment - quicker access to justice? This is coming from the patients. It also comes from their legal representatives who feel that it would be much easier where an apology is issued and an admission of liability has been made, to get them into the scheme as soon as possible. These people are still dealing with the lasting physical effects of the treatment. It is an ongoing problem and they just do not need the extra hassle of a long civil litigation process.

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