John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree the six month period cannot be wasted but there is a potential for another trial and for half the patients to be facilitated. That means that half will not be facilitated. Can the Minister imagine the mindset of the ten or so patients who may not get on to a trial, having seen what happened to their two colleagues, Anna and Marion, in the last few weeks, and the sort of effect that has on their well-being? The company has not performed with glory here, nor has the HSE, nor have any of us but the fact is that it is our job to look after the citizens of this country. In whatever objective analysis one looks at, patients were on a drug, being maintained, having a quality of life and two people passed away within five weeks of the drug not being administered, with another hospitalised, another extremely unwell and another back on antibiotics. That sort of evidence speaks for itself. I want to get away from who is right and who is wrong. Whether we like it or not, the HSE has, in the interests of patient safety and well-being, agreed to administer this drug. It is in the system now and it is up to us to solve it so we do not come back here in six months with the same pleadings, the same Topical Issue matter and the same health issues that these patients could run into. We should have a solution in that six month period. I plead with the Minister to set himself a deadline for the HSE and company to have this resolved before the six month period has elapsed.

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