Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, Acting Chairperson. I fully agree with your sentiments in welcoming Finola to the Public Gallery. Finola is the spokesperson for the Irish Thalidomide Association and it is fitting and appropriate that she should be in the House today to hear the response from the Minister. Two weeks ago tomorrow in Dáil Éireann, the Lower House, the Taoiseach responded to a question from Deputy Bacik based on the "Scannal" documentary which had been broadcast the night before. It laid bare the facts of the effect that the thalidomide drug has had on people in this country.

There are four women who are in their 90s and who have survived. They took the drug through no fault of their own. The drug was removed from the market 61 years ago next month. Even though it had been removed internationally, it was not removed in a timely manner in Ireland. There are four issues here that need to be responded to. First, it needs to be acknowledged by the Government that it did not act in a timely manner in terms of removing the drug and the consequences thereafter were as a result of this delay. Once the knowledge was available, the drug should have been removed instantaneously, as happened in other countries.That should have been removed instantaneously as was the case in other countries. The second thing that needs to happen is that there needs to be a State apology delivered by the Taoiseach in Dáil Éireann, similar to other apologies that have happened in the context of other victims who were let down by the State. The third thing that needs to happen is negotiations need to happen immediately with the survivors to put in place an appropriate healthcare package that will deal with their needs going forward. There are just under 30 people who the State acknowledge have been damaged long term and permanently as a result of their mothers taking this drug. The fourth thing that needs to happen relates to the approximately 12 people internationally who have had an expert opinion that they have been affected as a result of this drug, and that needs to be acknowledged by the State. That would bring the number up to 40.

There are four asks, and they are clear. The first one is an acknowledgment in the first instance. The second is an apology, which everybody across the political divide appreciates needs to happen. The third is the compensation package in terms of healthcare supports and appropriate compensation needs and again, this is accepted across the political divide. The fourth relates to the remaining women who have not had an acknowledgement from the State that this drug has caused them the problems they have, even though irrefutable international evidence from renowned experts supports their case and indicates that this has happened. They are very simple asks. Court cases have been ongoing for the bones of a decade and they should not be ongoing. Quite frankly, the cost of these ongoing court cases would more than fund the care package that is required and the compensation that is needed.

The Taoiseach spoke in the Dáil almost two weeks ago. He gave a commitment that he would be back in touch with Finola Cassidy within two weeks. That two weeks will be up tomorrow, so this Commencement matter is timely. In the first instance, it reminds the Taoiseach of his commitment. I know that he is an honourable person and that he will follow up on it. It also reminds the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and the Department that this scandal has been ongoing for a decade and that it needs to be resolved. Next month will be 61 years since this drug was removed from the shelves of Irish pharmacists and yet the consequences are still ongoing. The people have not been compensated. The people have not had an acknowledgement or an apology. I await the Minister of State’s response.