Mr. Robert Watt:

I was really just setting out the context within which decisions in relation to medicines have to be taken. The increase in spending is incredible and it is not sustainable. We have doubled it in ten years. The pressures are manifold because more people are accessing the high-tech scheme and there are more people on the long-term illness, LTI, scheme. There is also the reduction in the drugs payment scheme, DPS, so that more of the costs are met by the taxpayer as opposed to individuals. There has also been a general expansion in the volume, and there is also the price. I tried to set out a flavour of some of the drugs, which can have an enormous impact on patients that is life-changing. Everybody wants to fund them but there is a challenge for our society. It is a challenge for whatever Government is in office at any particular time.

How to generate the space to fund this is a challenge, not only for our society but also for other societies. I understand many more drugs are coming down the track - perhaps Dr. Henry will elaborate - which are incredibly expensive and for which there will be significant demand. We will have to find ways to fund them.