Thalidomide survivors are meeting the Taoiseach this evening as they continue a decades-long effort to secure a formal State apology. The drug, prescribed for morning sickness, was pulled from most international markets in 1961 after it was linked to serious birth defects, but it remained available in Ireland for months afterwards. The Irish Thalidomide Association says it wants recognition and accountability, warning that no survivor should pass away without hearing an official apology from the