Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I read the newspaper reports, as did the Deputy. Any drug that improves people's lives is something to be welcomed. I understand the patients have what is described as compassionate access to the drug but the company appears to be suggesting this will be withdrawn from them.

The HSE has a process for deciding what drugs are supplied with the public paying for them. These decisions are made entirely independently of the political process. There is an independent process which I understand is not complete, and whether the drug in question should be supported will go to the HSE's management committee for a decision. It makes its decisions on independent assessment of the impact versus the cost. We have seen previously that companies have been looking for exorbitant costs for some medication. The Minister has taken initiatives with other colleagues in other countries, including the UK, Scotland and Australia, to seek to ensure all health patients on public lists get access to medication on fair terms. This is where the issue rests.

In the same report mentioned by the Deputy, I saw the HSE needs more cost-effective pricing from a company to ensure the drug can be made available to public patients. I appeal to the company to ensure the pricing of such products, which can transform people's lives, is set at a reasonable level so public patients, whether here or in other countries, can gain access to them. The Government has sought to deal with this national issue, but in terms of individual products it is down to the HSE to make that decision. This decision-making process, I understand, is not yet complete.

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