Justice for Thalidomide survivors cannot wait

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD, speaking in the Dáil today, said that Government has failed Thalidomide survivors for more than six decades. Speaking to mark the 64th anniversary of the international withdrawal of the Thalidomide drug from the market, Deputy Bacik urged immediate action to provide a statutory compensation scheme, tailored support and an official State apology.

Deputy Bacik said:

“Survivors have spent their entire lives living with the consequences of Thalidomide. Many are now in their sixties and seventies, coping daily with deteriorating mobility, pain, complex surgeries and increasing reliance on assistive technologies. They have watched friends, parents and fellow survivors pass away without ever receiving closure. No one should be forced to wait 64 years for justice.

“Government has repeatedly failed to deliver a fair and transparent framework. Instead of a statutory compensation scheme that reflects lifelong disability, survivors have been met with a series of ad hoc supports and bureaucratic delays that obscure responsibility. The Taoiseach’s reply in the Dáil today was disappointing, as he offered no clear update on progress nor any clarity on a likely timeframe to meet the State’s obligations.

“Government has the power to act now. There is no legal barrier preventing the establishment of a bespoke scheme for Thalidomide survivors. The Programme for Government contains commitments to support people with disabilities through person centred services and yet those commitments ring hollow when survivors of a well documented medical disaster are forced to fund their own care or navigate multiple agencies for basic assistance.

“Labour is calling for three straightforward actions. First, a formal State apology acknowledging the harm caused and the failures that followed. Second, a statutory compensation and support package designed around the evolving medical needs of survivors, including access to specialist clinical services, mobility supports and long term care. Third, a binding timeline for the conclusion of this process so that no one dies waiting for justice. Survivors deserve urgent certainty, dignity and closure. Government must act immediately.”