Commitment to seek apology from Minister for Health marks significant progress for Thalidomide survivors – Ward

Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward has welcomed a commitment by Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD, to seek an apology from the Minister for Health to victims of Thalidomide in Ireland.

Thalidomide was first marketed as a morning sickness drug in 1959. The German-manufactured drug was predominantly sold under the brand name of ‘Softenon’ in Ireland. Concerns surrounding the danger of taking the drug during pregnancy were first raised in late 1961 following “an epidemic of malformation in new-born babies”, which was believed to have been due to mothers taking Thalidomide while pregnant. Across Europe, the new-born babies who survived were born with limb, eye, urinary tract, and heart problems. Thalidomide was eventually removed from the market in Ireland, following warnings to pharmacies and doctors.

Speaking on the matter in the Seanad, Senator Ward said, “The Department of Health did not actually issue a public warning until June 1962, which meant there was a six month period where women continued to take Thalidomide unaware of the harmful impacts, with the effects of that still to be seen today. It’s difficult to know exactly how many survivors there are in Ireland today.” The Department estimates that there are currently 29 Irish people affected by the drug, while other reports put the figure at between 36 and 37.

“Some people who are affected require 24-hour care, and those people are now in their sixties. They and their families continue to bear the burden of the problems caused by Thalidomide. The mothers who took that drug, many of whom are no longer with us, also bore a terrible burden of guilt for what happened to their children before they were born.”

Survivors of Thalidomide, notably Finola Cassidy of the Irish Thalidomide Association, have sought a public apology from the Department of Health.

“As well as offering an apology, we need to set aside the bureaucracy and put in place a fair and equitable compensation scheme for these people, as well as putting in place a medical scheme, because while many survivors have significant incapacitations, others do not yet know how their conditions will progress. The State needs to step in to address this issue immediately”, concluded Senator Ward.