Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If I could get the three minutes, it would be great.

The second issue is in regard to a briefing we will be having in the audiovisual room this afternoon. This is about trying to ensure that we can get money for new medicines. We are having a significant briefing as we have patient advocates and the industry coming in and they will inform us on what is out there on the market, and what is available in the private insurance companies and is not available in the public system. We have a two-tier health system. We have a system whereby the private health insurance companies are paying for medicines that can cure diseases or extend someone's life while, unfortunately, we do not have the same access on the public health system, which is completely outrageous. This has developed over the past three to four years in particular. It is taking 20 to 22 months to get these medicine through the procedures in order that they can be obtained on the HSE list. Unfortunately, people are losing their lives while this is happening. I hope that Members of the Oireachtas might attend the presentation in the audiovisual room because it needs to be stressed to the Minister that unless we change this, patient outcomes will be very much affected.

The Chair knows my story. My late brother Ger died of skin cancer. I will never forget the fact that Interferon was the drug that was used. It extended Ger's life by 18 months. Those are the kinds of medicine that are out there which we need to get into the system.