Speaking in the Dáil recently, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, provided an update on the continuing work of the non-statutory inquiry into the historical licensing and prescribing of Sodium Valproate in Ireland.
Many of our supporters will be aware that the establishment of this inquiry is something we campaigned for alongside our colleagues in OACS Ireland over the past decade.
Sodium Valproate (Epilim) is a commonly used epilepsy drug which was first licensed in Ireland in 1975. It a highly effective Anti-seizure medication. However, since the 1960s, evidence was emerging that the drug could have a severe impact on the unborn child if prescribed in pregnancy. Despite the effects of valproate and developing evidence over several decades, it was not until 2014 and again in 2018 that significant measures were taken to warn women of childbearing age about the potential impacts of the drug. In the years since it was first licensed in Ireland, many women continued to be prescribed valproate with no warnings.
The HSE estimate that up to 1,250 families may have been impacted by exposure to valproate over the past 50 years - with many requiring significant care and tailored supports. Families want to know why they were not warned of the potential risks which is why an inquiry was established after years of joint campaigning by Epilepsy Ireland.
The inquiry officially began its work in July of 2025 – independently chaired by Bríd O’Flaherty BL. In her update, the Minister was informing the Dáil of a financial extension and an update on the work of the inquiry so far – in which she acknowledged the campaigning which brought about its establishment. You can watch her contribution in the video below….
As a stakeholder in the inquiry, Epilepsy Ireland were pleased to have recently made our submission to the inquiry. You can read more about this by visiting the ‘News’ section of our website. We look forward to continuing to engage with the inquiry as part of its important work in the coming months and hope when it completes its work, it will lead to meaningful outcomes for both families affected and future generations of women with epilepsy.
We will provide further updates on the work of the inquiry as they become available on our website and social media channels.
In the meantime, if you need any information or support on your or your loved one’s journey with epilepsy, please do not hesitate to contact your local Community Resource Officer. Visit the ‘Our Local Service’ page on our website for their details.
Further Information
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE TEAM IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS. DO NOT STOP TAKING VALPROATE WITHOUT FIRST SPEAKING WITH YOUR PRESCRIBER.
- To learn more about the history of this campaign, visit the ‘Advocacy’ section of our website
- For more information on the risk reduction measures currently associated with Sodium Valproate for women and girls of childbearing age, visit the 'Women' section of our website
- To learn more about this inquiry, visit the ‘Sodium Valproate Inquiry’ website.
- If you are hearing about Sodium Valproate for the first time and suspect your child may be affected, we would encourage you to talk to our colleagues in OACS Ireland, as representatives of families who have been affected. You can find out more and get in touch by visiting the ‘OACS Ireland website.