Written answers
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Department of Health and Children
Vaccination Programme
8:00 pm
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will accept the recommendations of the vaccine damage steering group; the reason for the delay in putting a scheme in place for the families concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14102/10]
Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.
Rita Duff
Posted on 2 Apr 2010 12:17 pm (Report this comment)
Deputy Naughten has been raising this issue for about 20 years now with Health Ministers Cowen Martin and now Harney.
Prior to that the issue has been raised over time since Irish citizens began suffering vaccine damage in the 1950's.
Vaccine damage is a global problem and developed countries around the world and the EU have a vaccine damage compensation scheme in place by now.
The UK and Northern Ireland introduced a scheme in 1978.
Why is it taking so long for the Republic of Ireland to introduce an agreed vaccine damage compensation scheme?