Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

I support my colleague, Deputy Deenihan. I congratulate Deputy Higgins and the Labour Party on bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. We may not vote for it due to our legal opinion, but we will not vote against it. Our key point is that the Bill is timely, particularly with regard to pharmacists.

The Government and the HSE are completely out of touch. If I was to point to a system where there is no waiting list and no distinction between public and private, one would think it was a great system. That is the system pharmacists are providing. The HSE gave a commitment in November that it would enter into an independent process but it has reneged on this in a very underhand way. It came out publicly to state it would agree to an independent system but that it wanted the pharmacists to agree to a pricing structure before they entered an independent process. It is a joke. The problem is that there is no commitment from the HSE or the Government to resolve this issue.

The Health Act 1970 was introduced to replace a system, whereby those on medical cards were dealt with by doctors who dispensed medicines. That system was replaced so that dispensing was carried out by pharmacists, who have provided a very good system to date, but it appears the HSE is intent on dismantling this system.

Many are not aware that pharmacists make a 17% gross profit through the general medical scheme, GMS, which is not a phenomenal return. Furthermore, the areas that will be affected will be those where the GMS forms a large part of the pharmacist's business, such as vulnerable rural areas and urban areas of high population. This will force the closure of family-run, community pharmacies. While the big multiples will come into the market, pharmacies in local towns will no longer exist.

The Government must honour its commitment and bring forward an independent chairperson who will sit down with the HSE and the IPU to devise a system for a pricing structure. This should then go to an independent arbitration body which will recommend a pricing structure to the HSE.

I find one point amazing. The HSE and the Government propose to enter into contracts with individual pharmacies, which will create a chaotic system at the least. The IPU has done a good job up to this, as has the IMO with regard to the GMS, which was an efficient system.

Competition law was brought forward to allow the consumer to have choice.

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