asked the Minister for Health if a report on the thalidomide tragedy has been made and, if so, if it has been released to the parents.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Thalidomide Victims.
7.
A report on limb deformities of a type which might occur through the ingestion of thalidomide was submitted in 1963 by the Medical Research Council to the then Minister for Health. The report was in the form of a series of tables which included the incidence of certain congenital defects by counties and contained clinical details of the nature of the defects. The report was not prepared for presentation to the parents of the children in question nor would it have been of any specific value to them.
8.
asked the Minister for Health whether his Department were contacted by parents of thalidomide children seeking advice on how to secure compensation; and whether any consideration has been given to acting on the parents' behalf in their dealings with the German company.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 30 and 31 of the 26th October, 1972, in which I outlined in detail the initiative taken by my Department in assisting parents and others in charge of children with defects attributable to thalidomide in conjunction with the offer of compensation by the German firm of Chemi-Grünenthal.
The measures taken by my Department were directed towards assisting parents, et cetera, in submitting and pursuing claims under the general terms of the scheme of compensation but it was considered that it would not be appropriate for my Department to assume responsibility for individual claims.