Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin for raising this sensitive and personal matter. I have no intention of attempting, as he stated, "to play God". It is neither my function nor, obviously, within my authority. I can understand the situation here for the people who he mentions.

Deputy Martin stated that a decision has been made not to provide treatment by this drug for the patients involved here. A decision was made to have a pilot scheme of ten patients and ten patients were nominated, I assume, through medical or clinical channels for that.

I understand that the cost here is in excess of €200,000 per person. Obviously, it is a very expensive drug. It is not the first expensive drug. In proportion, we have had similar ones for cystic fibrosis, and there is the cure now for hepatitis C. These also are expensive drugs in proportion, with a significant backlog in many of those cases.

This matter was raised yesterday by Deputy Helen McEntee here in the House as a Topical Issue and was responded to by the Minister for Health. My understanding is that representatives of the company involved were here for a couple of days and have had discussions with the Health Service Executive.

I am not privy to the outcome of those discussions. The opportunity exists to see what can be done in the cases of the two people mentioned by Deputy Martin, or others who are in the same category. The Deputy will be aware that it is never the intention of the Minister, the Department or the HSE to attempt to deliberately rule anybody out for treatment that can affect their lives for the better or in some cases is virtually a matter of being able to have a longer life than might be expected. As I understand it, those discussions have not concluded. In fairness, they do want to see the outcome of the pilot scheme that is currently under way with the drug involved at its current cost.

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