Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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883. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an enhanced package of services for all thalidomide survivors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61533/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Children, Disability and Equality holds the responsibility for the provision of services to Irish survivors of Thalidomide.

Acknowledged Irish survivors of Thalidomide living in the State, are eligible for health and personal social services from the State.

Government policy since 1975 has been to provide acknowledged Irish Thalidomide survivors with access to a range of health and personal social services and other supports to facilitate independent living.

There are currently 29 acknowledged Irish survivors of Thalidomide eligible for these supports.

Supports include:

• Aids and Appliances
• Car and Housing Adaptations

These supports also include an ex-gratia monthly allowance for life. This Department has remit to ensure the provision of ex-gratia monthly payments to Thalidomide survivors under arrangements established through the Department of Health. There are currently 27 recipients of the Thalidomide monthly payments.

The supports provided through the HSE are managed by the National Thalidomide Advocacy Office, which was set up in 2024 to liaise with Irish Thalidomide survivors and assist them to access supports towards their ongoing health and personal social service needs.

The support provided is on a one-to-one basis, tailored to the specific needs of the person and in response to contact received from survivors. It includes identifying and liaising with the relevant key HSE personnel and other agencies, to provide the required health and social service support.

That office supports delivery of the enhanced pathway announced on the 9th of July 2024 by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Minister for Children, Disability and Equality at the time. This announcement encompassed an enhanced package of health and social care supports for Thalidomide survivors.

Co-designed with survivors, enhanced health care, social care and independent living supports are currently available.

The supports include:

Health and Social Care Supports

• Medical Card (administrative basis, regardless of means)
• Access to allied health professionals
• Access to international centres of excellence when expertise not available nationally
• Prophylactic MRI of the Trunk
• Unlimited access to exercise and hydrotherapy facilities
• Independent Living Supports
• Personal Assistant/Home Support/Nursing Hours
• Aids and Appliances
• Car adaptations
• Housing Adaptations
• Customised Clothing
• IT and AI solutions
• Free Travel Pass.