Misc. Redress Schemes

Lourdes Hospital Redress

Government approval was given in April 2007 (S180/20/10/0699A) to the establishment of a non-statutory, ex-gratia Lourdes Hospital Redress Board, based on proposals prepared by Judge Maureen Harding Clark for women who underwent clinically unnecessary  hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy, or removal of a single functioning ovary. The work of the Redress Board concluded in January 2009, having made awards to 119 women.

Government Decision S180/20/10/0699A of 23 July 2013 agreed the establishment of the Lourdes Hospital Payment Scheme to compensate those women who were excluded on age grounds alone from the Lourdes Hospital Redress Scheme. This group comprised women who were over 40 at the time of the Redress Scheme and who had undergone an unnecessary bilateral oophorectomy or removal of the remaining single functioning ovary.

Symphysiotomy

Government Decision S 180/20/10/1787 of 1 July 2014 agreed the establishment of the Scheme for women who underwent surgical symphysiotomy. A further Decision (of the same number of  29/10/2014) extended the ex-gratia scheme to include women who underwent pubiotomy.

Thalidomide

Government Decision S 18873 of 13 December 1974 agreed to pay a lump sum and monthly payments to Irish survivors of thalidomide and payments are also being made by the German Contergan Foundation to these individuals. Another Government Decision,

S180/20/10/1311 of 27 April, 2010, approved further lump sum payments to 32 survivors of thalidomide, with further payment of an annual lump sum, equivalent to the German annual payment which commenced in 2009.