Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept everything the Minister said but, to be honest with him, the families and those involved do not and cannot accept it. It is nothing personal, but they cannot. They do not care about this inter-wrangling or the politics involved. I agree with the Minister about the drug company's behaviour. I assume the HSE is doing its best. I accept all of that. However, these people do not care. These 21 people know one another. Two of them have passed away during this little window of time. It is quite obvious that others are affected. I knew this lady and I know her family. They want this to stop. They want her passing to be in some way a spark that will ensure the rest of the people are kept on the drug, that it is administered and that the process by which this drug can be approved happens. I know the process, which we have gone through in committee, the NCPE, the HSE's decision-making process, the toing and froing and all of that, but we all also know that other drugs have been approved.

This is a modest amount of money for a small group of people who deserve better. They do not care about whether it is the drug company, the HSE, the Department or anyone in this Chamber who achieves it because all they want is a solution so that they can plan their lives in some form of quality way. Please help them do it.

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