Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to thank Senator Conway at the outset and indeed many others for raising important matter and for providing me with an opportunity to speak about it in the House. I am sure that the Senator will appreciate that because a number of cases concerning thalidomide are before the High Court, it is not possible to comment on matters that are sub judice. However, the Government recognises that thalidomide survivors face very real challenges in everyday life in the context of their injuries.

I am glad to inform the House that the Minister met with members of the Irish Thalidomide Association in February. At that meeting, he listened to their health concerns and assured them of the Government's commitment to provide thalidomide survivors with the necessary health supports to meet their related needs. The HSE has designated a senior manager to liaise with Irish thalidomide survivors and assist them in accessing health and personal social services. Following the meeting with the association, the HSE thalidomide liaison commenced a process to develop recommendations for future planning and pathways for survivors’ healthcare needs now and into the future.

The recommendations will also inform the work that is already under way in the Department of Health to place the provision of these health and personal social supports on a statutory footing, as committed to by the Government.Since 1975, the Government has provided financial assistance to each Irish thalidomide survivor, including an ex gratialump sum and an ex gratiamonthly allowance for life. The annual figure for the Irish monthly payments ranges from €6,175 to €13,313 for each individual. As the Senator said, there are currently 29 Irish people in receipt of these supports from the Department of Health. Irish survivors are also eligible for monthly payments and a range of annual special payments from the Contergan Foundation, which is established under German legislation. 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 assessable as means for the purpose of Department of Social Protection payments. Each survivor is also eligible for a medical card on an administrative basis regardless of means. In addition, survivors are eligible for aids and appliances, equipment, housing adaptations and access to the full range of primary care and hospital and personal social services.

It is also 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 assure the House that the Irish Government is committed to the continued support of the health and personal social service needs of Irish thalidomide survivors to enable them to live independent lives.

The Senator mentioned four issues, one of which was that the drug was not removed in a timely manner and the Government should have acted at that time. The Senator has called for a State apology in the Dáil. He also stressed the need for negotiations with survivors to ensure an appropriate healthcare package to continue. He also said that 12 further people have received expert opinions that they have also been affected by thalidomide. He asked for them to be included in the State's response to bring the number of cases that require acknowledgment to 40. I will bring those details to the Minister and will try to get the Senator a response as quickly as possible.