I want to raise again the issue of thalidomide survivors. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is present in the Chamber, Deputy Devlin, the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, Senator McGreehan and I have raised this issue persistently for a number of years. I turned on my TV on Tuesday night, as I told the Tánaiste last night, to see the Australian Prime Minister had given an apology to all of the people affected by the thalidomide controversy. In the UK, an apology was offered in 2010. The one thing I took from the news bulletin on Tuesday night was the number of people who turned up with framed pictures of deceased loved ones and family members. I pray we will not find ourselves in that situation. I would like to see the people who are still here campaigning on this to get the State apology they deserve. There was a UK apology in 2010 and an Australian apology in 2023. When will Irish thalidomide survivors get their apology?

This is an issue we have been committed to in terms of the continued support for the health, personal and social service needs of Irish thalidomide survivors.

A confidential facilitation process on a range of issues relating to thalidomide commenced during my term as Taoiseach and has continued. Progress was being made on significant aspects in this regard, which we are currently implementing in conjunction with survivors. Regrettably, progress on other matters has not advanced as we had hoped. Alternative channels to progress matters remain available. I cannot go into the details because we were asked at the beginning that this would be a confidential process.

I can tell the Deputy that every effort is being made by the Government. No one was more disappointed than I was at the collapse of the process. It should not have collapsed. The Government wants to ensure the provision of proper, life-long healthcare, housing and adaptability provision and other things. There is a process to get this issue resolved. It should be completed.