Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will take the first slot.

Ireland's reduction in health expenditure in recent years was the most dramatic in the OECD, with the exception of Greece. The OECD stated recently in a report that in 2013, after Greece, Ireland's expenditure on health declined most out of all 33 members. Between 2005 and 2009, Ireland was increasing the amount it spent on health care at an average rate of 5.3% per annum. However, from 2009 to 2013 the rate of increase decreased by 9.3 percentage points to -4%. In total, the 33 OECD countries spent €737 billion on drugs in 2013. The Irish bill was the seventh highest, with €600 million spent on over-the-counter and prescribed medicines in 2013. In 2014, the European Commission called on Ireland to spend less on patent medicines after a report found that the amount of public moneys being spent on drugs was well above the EU average. The drug companies have been tackled and some concessions have been granted on prices, but the statistics show that a more aggressive approach will have to be taken by the Minister to put prices on par with those in the United Kingdom and other EU countries.

There are some astounding figures pertaining to patients on the outpatient waiting list. Over 404,000 are currently on that list. Some 68,000 are waiting for inpatient or day case treatment. These are the up-to-date figures. The problem is rampant and I ask that it be addressed. The Minister is trying to address it by outsourcing over 20,000 appointments to the private sector. However, to be fair, these are astronomical figures, and it is inexcusable that they have been allowed to escalate to this level.

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