Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I will bring the heads of the first pharmacy Bill which will deal with fitness to practice and other urgent issues to Government very soon. I hope to address the matter of eligibility and entitlement later this year. A great deal of work is under way in the Department to distinguish between eligibility and entitlement. It is important that we do this in order to clarify eligibility and entitlements in the health service. The Bill will appear later this year at the earliest as it is a major work.

The second pharmacy Bill will not come to the House before the summer. It will be dealt with later in the year, if not next year.

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