Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The Irish Medicines Board determines the safety or otherwise of all medicines prescribed in this State. The board is appointed by the Minister for Health and its advisory committee on human medicines has a statutory role to provide advice in cases where it is proposed to refuse a licence for medicinal products on any grounds relating to safety, quality or efficacy. Following approval for use of a medicine, the IMB monitors the type and frequency of any reported side effects. As product usage increases, more information on the safety profile becomes available and further decisions and recommendations regarding its usage are made by the IMB and its international counterparts. The Defence Forces fully comply with IMB guidelines on the prescribing of medicines for members.

At present, no members of the Defence Forces are deployed in sub-Saharan Africa and there is no immediate plan for any such deployment. The fact remains that for certain types of malaria, Lariam is the treatment of choice. It is important that members of the Defence Forces who are deployed to areas where they are at risk of contracting the type of malaria for which Lariam is recommended as the appropriate treatment by the IMB, should have the drug available to them. The alternative, which I pointed out, is that in sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are 1 million deaths per annum arising from malaria, so this is not an issue of minor significance. I have no intention of sending nor wish to send members of the Defence Forces into harm's way in circumstances in which medicines are available to provide them with crucial protection. What was a failing in some defence forces elsewhere, including the United States defence forces, was that procedures were not in place whereby individual members of the defence forces were assessed as to the appropriateness of them being prescribed Lariam.

There are the contra-indications I mentioned. When a medical assessment is carried out and if there is an issue as to whether someone suffers from depression, may be taking medication for depression or has other difficulties which are contra-indications, it is very important that the member of the Defence Forces furnishes the medical doctor undertaking the assessment with the fullest information about his or her health. It is extremely dangerous should he or she not do so. That is the position.

I have no wish that anything would be done which would place at risk the health of members of the Defence Forces, nor could I stand over our posting members of the Defence Forces to an area of the world in which malaria is a serious risk without our relying on the best medical advice available to ensure they had whatever medical assistance was necessary.

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