Irish children born with birth deformities as a result of the thalidomide scandal are demanding an apology from the State for what happened them.
Their call comes just days after it emerged the British Government is planning to offer an apology and further compensation to thalidomide victims in the UK.
At a press conference in Dublin today Finola Cassidy, spokesperson for the Irish Thalidomide Association (ITA), said the association had been in discussions with the Department of Health and Health Minister Mary Harney over the past two years on issues around the inadequacy of an original settlement made with thalidomide victims in the State in the 1970s, but no progress had been made. They now want to meet the Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
She explained that in the early 1970s an arrangement was entered into by the State whereby thalidomide children received "a relatively miniscule lump sum" in compensation, averaging around £4,000, and a monthly disability payment for life. These monthly payments in 2009 range between ¤514.59 and ¤1,109.46.
However, she said it was never anticipated survivors like her would live to adulthood and the redress scheme now had to be revisited, given the worsening disabilities survivors are having to live with.
The State, she added, never admitted any responsibility for what occurred and still refuses access to documentation around why thalidomide was licenced for use by pregnant women in Ireland for morning sickness and insomnia. It was also licensed in several European countries but not in the US.
The drug was taken by Irish women between 1959 and 1969 and there are 32 surviving Irish children who were born with birth deformities including no limbs, shortened limbs or absence of organs as a result. Ms Cassidy claimed that even when the State became aware the drug was affecting children it did not reveal this publicly so as not to cause distress to parents.
"We welcome the re-adjustment upwards of the UK thalidomide package ... crucially, the UK Thalidomide Trust indicate that the UK Government will acknowledge that a wrong occurred, have admitted responsibility for such a wrong by providing compensation and intend delivering a fulsome apology for the catastrophic consequences that occurred.
"In Ireland, the government procrastinate, fail to acknowledge in an open and transparent manner the wrong that occurred and neglect to furnish any apology," she continued.
The Department of Health, in a statement, said Ms Harney had asked the State Claims Agency to assess the ITA's requests in the context of Irish and international provisions for victims of thalidomide and in the context of Irish case law and precedent.
"Any proposal which comes out of this process will need to be considered by Government in view of the State's current financial circumstances and the possible consequences for other State compensation payments. The association will be kept informed of progress in the matter," it said.