Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I object to this. The all-party Oireachtas committee dealing with this matter discussed it for two and a half days and it would have made very good public television. At the end, it emerged the Minister for Health and Children gave an instruction to the HSE to get on with the implementation of her proposals for 1 March. Two proposals were voted on by the committee, one tabled by the Labour Party and one tabled by Fine Gael. Both were voted down. A bland amendment was then tabled which had to be accepted unanimously.

Genuine concern exists among the vulnerable and the elderly that arising from this they may not be able to obtain their prescription drugs. The Minister made an arrangement for what she states is an independent audit. The pharmacists state they will not break their contract. It should have been possible to have had rational discussions on this and to reach a conclusion without the mess which may emerge on 1 March.

I would prefer to have a motion tabled on this matter. One after another, Fianna Fáil speakers have blamed the HSE and stated it is terrible that vulnerable people may be faced with pharmacists withdrawing their services from the scheme. Having a series of statements again today merely reiterates what many speakers already stated at the Oireachtas committee. Therefore, I object to this and state it should be a motion upon which the House can vote after hearing what speakers have to say.

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