Thalidomide survivors’ payments
Seán Ó Fearghaíl challenges the Taoiseach’s account of discussions with thalidomide survivors. The Taoiseach clarifies that departmental officials, rather than the Minister, met the representative groups and discusses increased German foundation payments.
I have repeatedly raised on the Order of Business the plight of the 32 survivors of thalidomide. Last Tuesday, responding to a similar question from my party leader, Deputy Martin, the Taoiseach indicated that the Minister for Health had discussions with the organisations representing the thalidomide survivors. It is my information having spoken to the bodies during the course of last week that the Minister for Health has had no discussions with them. I am sure the Taoiseach's information was inadvertent but will he set to rights the record of the House and indicate when the Minister for Health will meet the bodies involved?
Comment on this
This is in the programme for Government.
Comment on this
I would not want to give anybody the impression that I was misleading the Dáil. My words may not have been entirely accurate. I had been speaking with the Minister for Health and as I understood it the discussions that had taken place had been progressive. I take the point that senior officials from the Department of Health and not the Minister met both the Irish Thalidomide Association and the Irish Thalidomide Survivors Society - there are two groups representing the 32 survivors.
The German foundation is set to increase substantially by between 150% and 500% its monthly payments to thalidomide survivors, including Irish survivors, with effect from 1 August 2013, backdated to 1 January 2013. The State does not wish to take any action which would have the effect of jeopardising current or future payments to Irish survivors by the German foundation and, as such, the Department has requested the State Claims Agency to meet the German Ministry and report back in regard to the implications of the issue that was raised concerning the application of German law to the payments made to Irish survivors of thalidomide. Both thalidomide organisations will be kept informed of developments. The Minister is obviously interested in this. If I inadvertently gave the impression that he had been meeting the associations, clearly, it was senior officials from his Department who met them and I correct my words in that regard.