Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the plight of thalidomide victims again in this House. I ask that An Taoiseach prioritises the talks with the Irish Thalidomide Association and that there is a conclusion to the saga and hell that thalidomide victims have had to go through for more than 60 years. They absolutely deserve a State apology, the acknowledgement of victims who are not as yet acknowledged, adequate healthcare packages and adequate compensation. Thalidomide victims are victims of something done to them and done to their mothers. Sadly, with 60 years of abuse and wear and tear on their bodies, they need help. The continuation of this shows the worst of bureaucracy that a State can deliver. It is absolutely unjust, disgusting and immoral that we still have victims of thalidomide who are unacknowledged and who this country has not apologised to. I urge An Taoiseach to pick up where the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, left off when he was Taoiseach and make sure a resolution is made as quickly as possible. These people are not getting any younger. The mothers who were left behind are still alive are not getting any younger. We do not want to see another mammy of a thalidomide victim die without an apology and an acknowledgement that it was the State’s fault. It was the tablet’s fault. It was not their fault that their children were born victims and disfigured because of a medication. I urge An Taoiseach to bring this to a conclusion and give some people peace of mind and a bit of contentment in their remaining years.