Government leaders expressed regret for the suffering suffered by thalidomide victims and their families and the impact the drug has had on their lives.
The statement by First Minister Simon Harris, Deputy First Minister Micheal Martin and Green Party leader Roderick O’Gorman came after Cabinet received an update on the enhanced health and social care support package for survivors.
The drug thalidomide was approved for sale in Ireland in 1959 and was advertised as helping to prevent nausea in pregnant women.
As a result, it was found to have devastating side effects, adversely affecting fetal development and causing birth defects.
The drug was withdrawn from international sales on November 26, 1961.
However, the drug remained on the shelves of Irish rural pharmacies and in home medicine cabinets until 1964.
There are around 40 people in Ireland whose mothers took thalidomide out of goodwill.
28 people receive government pensions.
On Tuesday, ministers were briefed on a package of measures developed in collaboration with survivors, including prioritised and simplified access to local health and social care specialists, access to treatment, home adaptations, car adaptations and support for independent living, including in-home support.
There’s also an annual health check and a free travel pass.
In a statement, coalition leaders said: “We would like to take this opportunity to express our condolences to the survivors and their families. We are sorry for what they have endured, the suffering they have suffered, and the impact thalidomide has had on their lives.”
“We would like to reiterate that these mothers have done nothing wrong and we have never believed otherwise.
“It is unfortunate that when thalidomide was first brought to the market, the regulatory standards we have today were not the standard, either nationally or internationally.
“Their experiences have made a huge difference in how we understand and ensure drug safety.”
They added: “Hearing the individual stories of survivors as part of this process has been humbling for us and, more importantly, has helped us understand how to best serve their needs in the future.”
They said the enhanced support was based on a “non-legal accelerated process chaired by Ciarán Mulvey with Irish Thalidomide victims and based on terms of reference agreed by all parties”.
The statement said this began in April 2023 and was a voluntary process by survivors.
“Significant progress has been made,” the leaders said.
“Unfortunately, this format did not advance the discussions and did not address the broader issues raised by survivors.
“The option remains open to reinitiate the non-legal mediation process in these matters or to pursue legal mediation through the National Claims Agency.”
The coalition leaders continued: “However, the Government is very conscious of the challenging needs of survivors, particularly as the population continues to age.”
“The Government also recognises the costs involved in meeting their needs. That’s why the Government wants to put survivors’ interests first and put these enhanced supports into place immediately. We look forward to meeting survivors in the coming weeks and sharing further information on the enhanced supports.”
The Irish Thalidomide Association (ITA) has been seeking new negotiations with the government in recent months over a national apology and compensation package for victims. Association members are due to meet later this week to discuss the government’s statement.
