Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I disagree with the Minister. As everybody is aware, all member states are making preparations for all possible eventualities. Outlining details of our preparations would not undermine or negatively effect the negotiations in any way.

I appreciate that the Minister will not answer questions on the VAT rate today. However, I want to make a case for businesses in the west and rural areas. The impact of the VAT rate is different across regions. The Minister must bear in mind that while businesses are doing well in the capital, it is a different story for hotels and restaurants in County Mayo and elsewhere on the western seaboard. Not all hospitality businesses are doing the same level of business. That regional imbalance need to be reflected in budgetary policy. I appreciate the Minister's point that different VAT rates cannot apply in different areas, but other mechanisms can be employed to try to achieve a better balance. I ask the Minister to bear that in mind.

The Minister dealt with the overrun in the health budget when responding to questions from other Deputies. I want to touch on the issue of orphan drugs. Every year, new drugs become available for different ailments. The health budget is expected to respond from the existing budget because there is no specific budget for orphan drugs. I ask that the Ministers for Finance and Health examine this issue. We know these drugs will come down the line every year and we will have parents and children protesting outside the gates of Leinster House to ask for medication they believe they need. There should be a separate budget to deal with this type of event. The health budget cannot be expected to deal with unexpected costs of such magnitude. I ask the Minister to discuss with the Minister for Health what can be done to address an issue that will arise every year. We should not put pressure on families to try to compete for access to a health budget that is already massively overrun. It appears we are set to continue on that path.