James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

My first question is to the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Deputy John Moloney. How can he suggest that the situation with wholesalers has been clarified by the Minister when the man who sat behind him only a few moments ago, Deputy Calleary, produced a letter from the wholesalers clearly pointing out that far from guaranteeing they would not have to charge more, they would do so, and in addition, they would not be able to supply drugs to some of their community pharmacists, especially the smaller rural ones, under the new arrangements at the cost suggested by the HSE? It is a complete contradiction. There was no clarification.

I have no intention of having any more rows with Deputy Moloney — that can take place at the health committee — but I will say the following. We spent four or five hours at a very good meeting chaired excellently by Deputy Moloney. I would be the first to put my hand up and say that. We left the meeting with a clear understanding that we would meet the next morning to discuss a composite motion in private session. A motion then appeared at my office. I asked the Chairman if Fianna Fáil had agreed to it. The Chairman said he did not have a problem with it but it had not been voted on by Fianna Fáil and he would have to see what happened at the committee. That was fine. Three minutes into that meeting we went from private session to public session and one Deputy said there should be no motion. We spent another two hours in further discussion. These are the facts of the matter. It shows where we were coming from and how we moved so far away from the central issue. The big question mark remains.

The ruse by Deputy Finian McGrath to blame it all on the bad bold HSE, neglecting to mention that it is answerable to the Minister, whom he supports——

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