Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On page 64 of the programme for Government is a statement that the Government will drive down the costs of providing new treatments and drugs. I ask the Taoiseach to account for his Government's abject failure to introduce a coherent, effective and efficient way of introducing life saving orphan drugs such as Respreeza to Alpha-1 patients. Is the Taoiseach aware that one of the 21 patients who was on the Respreeza clinical trial died at the weekend and that some of the other 20 patients on the trial have been without this life saving drug for up to five weeks? A meeting was held by the HSE last Thursday. I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to intervene urgently to ensure that an arrangement is put in place so that this drug can be administered to these patients. This truly is a life and death situation. I spoke to two patients yesterday who are in fear of losing their lives because the drugs are being kept in a warehouse and are not being administered to those who need them. I respectfully ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to intervene as a matter of extreme urgency.

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