Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Although I believe it would probably not be appropriate for a Minister to engage directly with the company, I understand and accept very much the force of what the Deputy states in respect of the case in question. The only way the process can be triggered is for the manufacturer to submit a new application. I do not believe that has happened yet but I understand it is to happen. I will certainly give any undertaking I can to the Deputy and the House. As I said, the HSE will reconsider the application. It has to go through particular procedures in regard to balancing the efficacy of the drug against the cost. That process must be engaged in on behalf of the State. It is often very difficult when somebody is in a very particular human situation and in need of the support of a particular medicine or drug to address the opposite side of the case, that is, the fact that the drug must be assessed for efficacy and that this must be balanced against the cost. The drug in question is the subject of some comment — I do not know whether I should describe it as controversy — in the United Kingdom owing to an assessment by the National Institute for Care and Excellence, NICE, the equivalent of our assessment organisation. This is a live issue. It may be of some comfort to the Deputy to know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that once the process is triggered by an application, it will be expedited by the HSE so the matter will be addressed and dealt with as quickly as possible.

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