James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the members for their contributions. The tone has been reasonable, which is always beneficial when we are trying to discuss serious issues associated with health. The issue of health can be very emotional, as we know. People get very upset when they cannot obtain certain services or get their child into a certain school, but this is nothing by comparison with the emotional trauma associated with being unable to have life-saving operations for one's loved ones.

Let me comment on Deputy Kelleher’s point on the OECD and primary-care efficiencies. The report acknowledges that if we do not address the high cost of service, we will not be able to do what we need to do. We must address it, including by tackling the high salaries and the high price of inputs. We have done this through the IPHA deal. It is a serious deal that will save €400 million over the next three years in respect of drug costs. We will save €15 million in respect of the generic drugs companies, and considerably more through the drug reference pricing legislation, which is currently going through the House and which the Deputy's party supports.

Concern was expressed about the expensive of universal GP care. The Deputy mentioned previous expensive deals. The country is in a very different place than it was and professionals realise that. We can achieve what we need to achieve through negotiation with them.