Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone and offer good wishes to Dr. O'Reardon in his new role. I thank Mr. Reid and everyone from the HSE for giving their time at this most difficult time for themselves. As someone who is mercilessly critical at times, I want to take the opportunity to thank the HSE and the Department of Health and all associated with them for their mountain-moving heroics over recent months on Covid. It is important to say that and that I, as someone who is often very critical, would say it.

If technical difficulties interfere, rather than hold up the meeting, I ask that Ray Butler would reply to the meeting in writing this evening. I do not want an answer here, but I have an important question on public expenditure to ask now, which Ray Butler might answer on behalf of the HSE or the Department of Health jointly, if necessary.

In the context of Covid, where there is very substantial expenditure, it would be useful for the committee to know if NPHET uses any formula similar to that of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics when a breakthrough drug comes on board such as Ipilimumab or Orkambi which are very expensive. Apart from the health technical assessment and the other medical criteria that it applies, it also considers the formula cost per year per life saved. As Mr. Reid has said, this could be with us for a great deal of time. I am conscious that responding to a question from a colleague yesterday, NPHET replied that the average age of those deceased, with whose families we sympathise, was 89 years with underlying conditions. Is a similar formula or methodology applied in the sorts of restrictions and expenditure we must enter into for measures for Covid?

If there is, will Mr. Reid let us know what it is? If not, why is that the case? The witnesses have acknowledged this disease will be with us for some considerable time so will the HSE or the Department consider implementing such measures and informing us of the criteria? That is not for the here and now but a detailed paper or note for the committee would be very useful for us, considering the vast expenditure that is, quite rightly, being applied to fighting this terrible disease.