Mr. Oliver O'Connor:

Appendix 4 shows that the price for patented medicines is now at the average of the nine countries. Some of the countries in the group of nine would traditionally have been seen as higher priced than Ireland, while others would have been seen as lower priced. Spain, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark are all in the basket and would traditionally have been seen as higher-priced than Ireland. Part of the rationale for the nine countries chosen was economic, in terms of matching Ireland to income levels, per capitaincome levels, the economic status of the countries relative to others in the EU as well as the pricing levels. We have provided the latest statistics on the basket in the supporting documentation which shows where Ireland is placed in terms of GDP per capitarelative to the nine countries and relative to other European countries as well as in terms of the price level. Ireland, relative to other European countries, is well off. Our GDP per capitain 2014 was almost €38,000 and our GNI per capita, which takes away the effects of the profits of multinationals leaving the country, was €35,000. Most of the countries in the batch of nine are around that level. Ireland is a high-income country relative to the rest of Europe and in general our prices for all goods, as Mr. O'Loughlin said, are about 20% higher than the EU average price. We are pitched at that level.

Some of the nine countries are traditionally higher priced while others are traditionally lower priced but they also reference their prices against those in other countries. In terms of population, the group covers about 278 million people in the EU so it is not as if we are priced against a small subset of higher priced countries in Europe. We are priced against almost two thirds or three fifths of the European population.