Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to hear the Minister unambiguously express an open mind. His predecessor did not express that same openness. There has been group-think within the Defence Forces, which has given rise to almost unquestioning support of the use of Lariam. How would the Minister respond to Dr. Franz Humer, the chairman of Roche, which manufactures Lariam? As far back as 2007, at the annual general meeting of the company, he stated that Lariam used to be the most important drug in the fight against malaria. In the meantime, however, science has advanced, and more effective anti-malarials with better side-effect profiles are now available. Why, then, does Lariam continue to be the predominant drug used by our Defence Forces? Are Malarone or doxycycline used at all for people who are being dispatched to locations such as sub-Saharan Africa?

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