Government release statement apologising to thalidomide survivors

The Irish Government have today released a statement that has apologised to the thalidomide survivors for the "hardships they have suffered."

Thalidomide was a drug prescribed to pregnant women to alleviate symptoms of morning sickness, it caused malformation in new born babies it was later discovered.

The statement by the Government reads:

"The Government has today been updated on an enhanced package of health and social care supports for thalidomide survivors.

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

This includes prioritised and simplified access to local health and social care professionals, access to therapies both clinical and holistic, independent living supports to include housing adaptions, car adaptations and home supports, annual health assessments and the free travel pass.

We want to take this opportunity to express our sympathy to survivors and their families - we are sorry for all they have endured, for the hardships they have suffered and for the impact thalidomide has had on their lives.

We want to strongly reiterate, once again, their mothers did nothing wrong, and we have never thought otherwise.

It is regretful that the regulatory standards we have today were not the norm, here or internationally, when thalidomide was first brought to market.

Understanding and ensuring drug safety has changed significantly based on their experience.

Hearing survivors’ individual stories as part of this process has been humbling and more importantly, has helped us to understand how we can best meet their needs into the future.

The enhanced package of supports has been founded on a non-legal facilitation process under terms of reference agreed with all parties, under the chairmanship of Mr Kieran Mulvey with Irish survivors of thalidomide.

It commenced on 19th April 2023 and was a voluntary process with survivors.

Significant progress was made. Regrettably, talks did not progress in this format and wider matters raised by survivors were not covered.

The options of resuming a non-legal facilitation process on these issues, or a legal mediation via the State Claims Agency, remain available. However, Government is very conscious of the challenging needs of survivors, particularly as they get older.

It is also aware of the costs associated with meeting their needs. Therefore, Government is anxious to implement these enhanced supports immediately in the best interests of survivors.

We look forward to meeting with survivors to share further information on the enhanced supports in the coming weeks."