A group has been set up by the Department of Health to look at the issue of vaccine damage and compensation.
This follows a recommendation from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in 2001 that a no-fault compensation scheme should be established for the "small number of children" who had experienced serious reactions to vaccinations.
Minister for Health Mary Harney has confirmed that a vaccine damage steering group has finally been established to consider the issue, particularly the numbers who would be likely to benefit from such a scheme.
In reply to a Dáil question she told Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten that the group met for the first time on March 13th last and would be meeting again later this month.
"The group is committed to producing a preliminary report on its findings by July of this year," she added.
The group is chaired by Chris Fitzgerald, a senior official at the Department of Health. Its other members include Dr Darina O'Flanagan, director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre; Dr Brenda Corcoran, head of the HSE's national immunisation office; Susan Moriarty, a solicitor and deputy head of claims at the State Claims Agency; Dr Eibhlin Connolly, deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health; Prof Denis Cusack, of the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science; and Rita Purcell, of the Irish Medicines Board.
Mr Naughten complained about the lack of urgency by the State in establishing a no-fault compensation scheme for those who had been damaged. He said it was five years since the former health minister, Micheál Martin, had promised to investigate whether the State would support such a scheme, and now Ms Harney had set up what he termed "another talking shop".
"This is yet another lost opportunity for the Government," he added.