Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have some short questions for the witnesses. On the potential for developing our own drugs, we have a thriving third level sector and a huge amount of money is being invested into skilling-up our scientists and fitting out our universities. Is there a reason why we are not developing more of our own drugs, and with the involvement of the State in the provision of those services can we not then expect a dividend? Unlike Deputy Healy-Rae I am never shocked when big business behaves slightly less than ethically, but if we have made a contribution to the development of these drugs - and I genuinely believe that we have - is it not in order that we should expect a dividend?

There was a huge amount of discussion around the 2013 Act and the protocols and the necessary procedures laid down. Is it the view of the witnesses that for orphan drugs we would need an entirely separate process, be it legislatively underpinned or otherwise? Would we need to revise the legislation or somehow find a way around that?