Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important topic today and I acknowledge the Minister's flexibility when I contacted his office earlier regarding this matter. I raise this issue because of a young lady from my constituency whom I know well. Back in 2011, she began to feel ill and to feel a numbness in her legs. Over the past number of years, she has gone through umpteen tests and examinations and many different diagnoses. Ultimately, she was diagnosed earlier this year with Degos disease. It is hard to believe that only a few short years ago this young woman ran the mini-marathon, and now she cannot walk without the aid of crutches. Her husband has had to give up work to act as a full-time carer. The family is more than complimentary of the level of care her consultant neurologist in St. James's Hospital, who has written requesting that the use of this drug be sanctioned in this woman's treatment, has provided. I will read some of the reply the consultant received from St. James's Hospital:

This is a rare life threatening disease and your patient has already suffered significant disability as a result of the disease process. Without effective treatment the likelihood is that your patient will have further central nervous system manifestation of disease such as minor, sub-massive or massive stroke, or may well develop bowel perforation, given that she appears to have endothelial manifestations on the serosal surface of her bowel. Either of these two complications would ultimately lead to her death.

It goes on to state:

[a]s you have reasonably identified, the manufacturer is not prepared to give you any information about "off-licence" use, or of any adverse effects that they may be aware of in this regard. Furthermore, the cost for this drug is prohibitive and would lead to significant adverse effect on the ability of St. James's Hospital to deliver care to very many other patients who are also the responsibility of the Hospital.

I speak quite sincerely to the Minister today. I believe he is a compassionate man. That is obvious from the career he chose in becoming a medical doctor. I have no doubt that he chose that career because he wanted to help people and save lives. Now that he is in an ideal position to help people and save lives, I ask him quite sincerely and genuinely to look at this case compassionately, with a view to sanctioning the care. When a consultant is making a recommendation for a treatment that has the potential to save the life of a lady who is only in her late 40s, we should make the necessary provisions available to try to save this young mother's life.

See this speech in context