The Irish Thalidomide Association is taking its case to the High Court in a bid to gain compensation for Thalidomide survivors.

Thalidomide was an anti-nausea drug that was introduced in the late 1950s and administered to pregnant women suffering from morning sickness. The drug was later found to be the cause of many different birth defects.

In 1975 an agreement was made between the Irish and German governments where compensation payments to survivors in Ireland, but was never formally approved by the High Court here, which means Germany cannot be forced to make the payments.