Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2017
443. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children's report on childhood immunisation of July 2001 that legislation be drawn up to provide for a no-fault national vaccine injury compensation scheme has not been implemented [24143/17]
View answer445. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason an ex gratia payment scheme has not been established, in view of the recommendations of the vaccine damage steering group of June 2009 regarding the need to deal with issues for retrospective cases, in instances in which persons have been awaiting a resolution of these issues for decades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24145/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 445 together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to question number 379 on 16 May 2017. As I stated in my reply, my Department is considering how to implement the Programme for a Partnership Government commitment, which encompasses consideration of the implementation of the recommendations of the Vaccine Damage Steering Group. This includes the nature of any such scheme, whether it would be on a statutory or non-statutory basis, whether it would apply retrospectively, the arrangements for eligibility, the vaccines that would be included in such a scheme, the criteria for determining an adverse effect, the burden of proof required, the assessment of the level of disability and how this would be conducted, the levels of award, the mechanisms for appealing any decision and how the scheme might interact with the legal process and litigation rights. Regard is being given to the international experience with such schemes and to their potential applicability to Ireland. In the course of its considerations, my Department is engaging with other Government Departments and relevant State agencies. I hope to be in a position to finalise the consideration of options with a view making recommendations on the design and implementation of a proposed scheme in line with the commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
