Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also pay tribute to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland on an extraordinary and very fair campaign by Philip Watt and his team. I also pay particular tribute to Jillian McNulty, who very bravely led the campaign for Orkambi. There are lessons to be learned. I wonder if the Cabinet committee has considered the broader question of how we deal with orphan drugs. That is the term given to drugs used for rare diseases. In respect of conditions and diseases that are particular to the Irish DNA and are more prevalent here than in other areas, there is a need for a more effective approach from the Government to the approval of drugs.

In the earlier phase of this campaign, there was no engagement going on if the truth be told. That is what worried me more than anything. There was then an attempt to undermine the quality of Orkambi as a drug.

I raised the matter with the Taoiseach several times on Leaders' Questions. Despite all the leaks to the various newspapers, it took six weeks to two months to get acknowledgement that Orkambi is a valid game-changer in terms of its impact on people with cystic fibrosis of a particular mutation. That has concerned me somewhat and it speaks to a lack of an overall policy.

I am unsure whether Fine Gael has a policy on health anymore. Compulsory health insurance was dropped. The damage of the Reilly and Varadkar years has been left in place. One of the core issues that emerged from that period was the degree to which there was direct interference with transparent and honest service planning within the HSE. Repeatedly, Ministers have required the HSE to promise a level of service for which the required funding has not been provided. Will the Taoiseach provide an assurance that no member of Government has interfered with the wording of this year's service plan to cover up a mismatch between promises and funding? Can the Taoiseach explain why we have had repeated failure to implement funding for mental health services? The Government's existence rests on having promised this funding. The Government has not delivered in terms of mental health funding as promised this year.

See this speech in context