Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned by the overall effect of that on HSE budgets. Would it be possible for drug purchasing to be completely separated from HSE budgets in order that there is not a constant pull and it could be isolated in order to track spending in that regard?

Is there any role for extended patents? Nine years was the period for patents. Is that period still being extended in order to allow companies recoup their costs in order that the effect on the Exchequer can be spread over a longer period of time? There should be little need for a generic version of an orphan drug because the population base is not big enough. Is there any sense in giving companies an extended patent because there will not be a generic version of the drug and therefore spreading the cost over a few decades rather than one?

Could any of the witnesses address the savings and workings of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, framework agreement on the supply of medicines to the public health services and the effect it is having in regard to hospital budgets?