Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

If the Minister is going to force parents to pay for this themselves, the very least the Government can do is not charge VAT on the product, which is a medicinal one. Is that the Government's intention?

A procurement agency operates within the Health Service Executive. How successful is it at getting value for money for this kind of product? Surely it should be able to secure savings of approximately 10%? That would be significant and might reduce the overall cost from €10 million to between €5.5 million and €7 million. Has the procurement agency provided value in this regard?

The situation may well arise where the Minister is challenged legally by virtue of the fact that she said she would introduce a programme but she did not do it. She backed off in a morally reprehensible way.

I noticed last week that the Taoiseach was in Carlow turning the sod at the Merck Sharp & Dohme plant, which will mean a major investment in the future. That is to be commended. I understand also that this plant was to manufacture the product and supply one product on a worldwide basis. That was like an invitation to the world to come to our country, invest in our infrastructure and give us jobs, yet a couple of days later the Minister for Health and Children announced she was getting rid of the programme announced in August for the product that is made by that company, which has such a bearing on the quality of life for young girls as they grow into adulthood.

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