Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today is Thalidomide Memorial Day. Up to 40 people in this country are victims of thalidomide who have lived lives in various states of disability as a result of the injuries they suffered in the womb. They have to date received no apology from the State. They have received no proper medical compensation. A compensation scheme is in place from the company in Germany but it is inadequate for what they have suffered. It is unfair that the Government has not moved to compensate and acknowledge those people and the mistake that this State made in not taking the drug off the market in a timely fashion.

As unfair as it is to the people, now in their 60s, who suffered from thalidomide, it is desperately unfair on their mothers, many of whom blame themselves for having taken the drug despite the fact that they did not know they were doing any harm. Many of those women have passed away but their families are there. The brothers and sisters of the people who lived with thalidomide injuries are there. The only fair thing to do would be for the Government to acknowledge that, to apologise and put in place a proper scheme for those people.

I will also raise the issue of China’s complicity in the war in Ukraine. Where western countries have pulled out of buying services and goods from Russia, Chinese companies are stepping into the breach. We need to make sure that the sanctions regime that Ireland has supported at the highest level in Europe and has pushed in terms of punishing Russia for its illegal action in Ukraine, must be extended to include companies in such places as China which facilitate the continued economic expansion of Russia despite the fact that its illegal aggression in Ukraine is putting thousands of people’s lives at risk today, tomorrow and as long as this conflict goes on. The Government needs to step up to make sure that the sanctions regime expands to cover all of those countries and companies seeking to circumvent the proper action of sanctions, sanctioned by the European Commission.