Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste talks about frustration. I mentioned that there must always be balance and consideration. The approval of a new drug is supposed to take 180 days. The Tánaiste talked about people with rare diseases and cancer patients. We are at the bottom of the list in Europe for accessing these drugs. All through the term of this Government that has been the situation. Irish people are likely to be one of the last in the line to access these drugs, which are being produced in the main in Ireland, in some cases down the road from the Tánaiste. That only applies for a public patient. A private patient with money who can afford private healthcare can get rapid access to these drugs.

These are not just drugs of convenience; these are drugs that keep people alive. Lives have been saved by these drugs and other lives have been lost as a result of the delays in processing these drugs. I am not questioning whether we are making money available for new drugs or whether new drugs are coming on stream, but why is Ireland the laggard in Europe on this? The Government received an expert report last year and has now set up an expert working group. I am sure that when it reports to the Government, it will set up an expert Cabinet committee and then an expert implementation group.

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