Departmental Records

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2010

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Ceisteanna (117)

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

116 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the date on which she will release all documents relating to the drug thalidomide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46170/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney)

I agreed to the voluntary disclosure of all Departmental records relating to the circumstances surrounding thalidomide in the 1950's/1960's and the arrangements made in the 1970's relating to the survivors of thalidomide. My Department is assigning additional resources to this task over the coming weeks to speed up the completion of this commitment.

I appreciate the importance attached to this documentation by the Irish survivors of thalidomide but I would point out that the process must be thorough. The process is also very time consuming due to the nature and scale of the documentation and the level of redaction of personal information required to comply with data protection requirements.