2954. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the supports made available to Irish thalidomide survivors; the number of people eligible for these supports; and the number of people that are currently in receipt of these supports. [57945/26]

My Department holds the responsibility for the provision of supports and services to survivors of Thalidomide.

Acknowledged Irish survivors of thalidomide living in the state are eligible for health and personal social services from the State regardless of means such as:

Health and Social Care Supports

• Medical Card

• Annual Assessments

• Access to allied health professionals

• Access to international centres of excellence when expertise not available nationally

• Prophylactic MRI

• 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

Financial Supports **

State Supports

• Lifelong monthly payments since 1974/5 (based on Contergan scale)

• Once-off lump sum 1974/5 (4 x German lump sum)

• Once-off lump sum 2010/2013

Contergan Foundation ***

• Lifelong monthly payments since 1970s (scaled to severity/damage level)

• Special Payments & Specific Needs Payments

• Once-off lump sum 1970s

** exempt from tax and not assessable as means for the purpose of Department of Social Protection payments

*** From 1st August 2013 onward, under German legislation, any financial payments made by other governments to thalidomide survivors are off-set from German payments.

There are 24 Acknowledged Irish survivors of Thalidomide living in the state eligible for health and personal social services from the state regardless of means, there are also three more Acknowledged Thalidomide survivors living outside the state.

The type of supports provided in 2026 vary from Aids and Appliances, Seamstress and Personal Assistant/Home support hours to Housing Adaptation projects.

The National Thalidomide Advocacy Office (NTAO) was established in 2025. The office was set up to support the HSE National Thalidomide Liaison to work with Irish Acknowledged survivors, to ensure that they receive all the supports that they require to live healthy and independent lives.