James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister, Deputy Mary Harney, for coming to the House to respond to this Adjournment debate. Fine Gael recognises the need to achieve value for money on behalf of taxpayers and consumers. We want to support the Minister to this end. However, we are concerned that a recent decision made by the Minister could have a negative impact on patients and jobs. The reputed sharp 34% decrease in payments to pharmacists from the HSE could well result in the loss of jobs and the closure of many community pharmacies, thereby reducing choice and service to patients. This might be avoided if other options were considered. Perhaps the Minister could engage with the pharmacists to agree a phased approach, loaded upfront if necessary, that would achieve the same savings over a number of years. The Dorgan report, which was commissioned by the Minister or the HSE, recommended that change should be phased in. I agree with the Minister that it is not acceptable that it costs €600 million to deliver pharmaceuticals worth €1.2 billion to our people.

As I said at the outset, I support the Minister for Health and Children's intention in this respect. However, I am concerned that patients will suffer as a consequence of the sharp reduction in payments to pharmacists. Perhaps the Minister will consider engaging with the Irish Pharmacy Union in a more phased manner. Now that she has made the order, the Minister has the upper hand and may find the union much easier to deal with. Now that many pharmacists have issued notice of their intention to withdraw services, I ask the Minister to set out her contingency plans to ensure continuity of supply to patients, which must be our primary concern.

Given that older people use pharmacy services to a greater extent than any other age group, I suggest that the Minister should instruct the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, Deputy Áine Brady, to take personal responsibility for supervising the contingency plans. Such a course of action should be not construed as removing responsibility for continuity of supply from the Minister herself. We cannot allow the circumstances that prevailed during the methadone dispensing crisis, for example, to be repeated. The Minister has 30 days to take action. I am sure it is within her remit to open negotiations on another front to see if a crisis can be avoided in this instance. She needs to be well prepared if she is to ensure that patients do not suffer as a consequence of the actions of pharmacists.

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