Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ward for raising this most important issue. I would also like to assure the Senator of the Government's commitment to the ongoing support of Irish thalidomide survivors.

The Senator will appreciate that as there are a number of cases concerning thalidomide before the High Court at present, as he has stated, it is not possible to comment on matters that are sub judice. However, I am glad to take this opportunity to set out the supports currently provided by the Government to Irish thalidomide survivors.

Following an Irish Government decision in January 1975, the Government granted an ex gratia sum, equivalent to four times the German lump sum and an ex gratia monthly allowance for life, equal to the German monthly allowance, to each of the Irish children found to have thalidomide-related injuries. There are currently 29 Irish people in receipt of ex gratiamonthly payments from the Department of Health. The annual figure for the Irish monthly payments ranges from €6,175 to €13,313 for each individual. The rate of payment is related to each survivor's level of thalidomide-related injury. The German monthly payments are made by the Contergan Foundation, which is established under the foundation Act. All thalidomide survivors entitled to benefits are entitled to a lifelong monthly pension ranging from €8,928 to €100,765 annually, annual special payments since 2009 of between €460 and €3,600, and annual specific needs payments since 2017 of between €5,676 and €14,700. I am aware that I have listed a lot of figures, but the information is available in the note that has been circulated to Senators.

Both the German payments and the Irish ex gratiamonthly payments made to survivors are exempt from tax, including deposit interest retention tax, and are not reckonable, or in other words, assessable, as means for the purpose of Department of Social Protection payments. In addition, each Irish survivor is provided with health supports, including a medical card on an administrative basis, regardless of means, in addition to appliances, artificial limbs, equipment, housing adaptations and access to a full range of primary care, hospital and personal social services.

In April 2010, the Government decided to provide additional financial assistance and other supports for Irish thalidomide survivors to meet their needs into the future. The measures included an offer of an additional one-off ex gratiaindividual payment of €62,500. This offer was subsequently accepted by a number of the survivors. A senior manager in the HSE was also designated to liaise with survivors in relation to meeting their ongoing health and personal social service needs. I wish to inform the House that work is under way in the Department of Health to bring forward legislative proposals on health and personal social services for Irish survivors of thalidomide on a statutory basis.

It is important to note that the German Contergan Foundation has confirmed that since 2013, it is accepting applications from individuals for compensation for thalidomide-related injury. It is open to any Irish person to apply to the foundation for assessment of his or her disability as being attributable to thalidomide. Any Irish person who establishes that his or her injury is attributable to thalidomide will be offered appropriate supports by the Irish Government, commensurate with those currently provided to Irish thalidomide survivors.

I trust this clarifies the issues raised by the Senator.