Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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86. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the progress of the programme for Government commitment to implement the recommendations of the vaccine damage steering group. [6206/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to “...put in place a scheme, on a no-fault basis, that will respond to the needs of people with disability arising from vaccination”. The final report of the Vaccine Damage Steering Group was published in 2009 and recommended establishing an ex-gratia payment scheme. The policy objectives in putting in place a scheme to meet the needs of people with disability arising from vaccination are to provide fair and just compensation for those who may have been injured by a vaccine, to reduce the costs to the State by providing an alternative to litigation and to maintaining public confidence in immunisation. This matter is under consideration with a view to developing a proposal regarding a vaccine damage scheme based on evidence, legal advices and consultation with other Government bodies.