Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister very much. The provision of special care packages is very good, no doubt, but the once-off, ex gratia payment of €2 million to be divided equally between the Irish survivors is not appropriate in any sense. Each of the survivors has handicaps of varying degrees, so there is no logic to that. All of them are in constant pain. The secretary of the Irish Thalidomide Association is in the Visitors Gallery. She is in constant treatment with physiotherapy and was in traction this morning. It is not this Minister's responsibility but I would like him to listen to what I am saying.

Why did the Department of Health in 1961 not issue an immediate withdrawal of thalidomide when it was notified by the manufacturers that it was causing birth defects? Dr. John O'Connell, who is a former Minister for Health, said in his autobiography that he was able to buy the thalidomide drug in the west four years later off the shelf and without a prescription. I put on the record again the substance of my matter, namely, the need for the Minister for Health and Children to clarify the reason the Department of Health in 1961 did not issue an immediate withdrawal of the thalidomide drug when it was notified by the manufacturers that it was causing birth defects.

President Kennedy gave a gold medal in 1962 to one of the chief directors of the FDA in the United States because she refused to pass the thalidomide drug. We are not blaming the present Minister for Health and Children for this, incidentally. I am disappointed, however, because we need an apology on behalf of the State. There has been a lack of humanity in dealing with the 32 survivors, who are very brave individuals and put enormous pressure on their bodies. No one expected them to live to 47 or 48. Their limbs are older than their equivalent normal age by about 30 or 40 years and that is why they are in such constant pain. They are an inspiration and I hope this Minister will duly report back to the Minister for Health and Children. There is cross-party support for this in the Seanad.

I am staking my reputation on this and putting it on the line, but I shall support this group through thick and thin. We have had issues such as this in the past where the Government postponed solving situations, and this will end up the same way. I do not see why we cannot have proper compensation and each individual assessed in that regard as well as a fulsome apology from the State.