John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Along with Deputies Lisa Chambers, Aylward and others, I have raised the issue of the plight of 25 children in this country who suffer from spinal muscular atrophy. We have met them and are aware of the challenging lives they lead. It does not have to be that way. A drug that could improve the lives of those people has been evaluated, but it has not been deemed appropriate to be made available for them in this country even though it is available in many European countries. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, is in the House. I specifically asked if the evaluation process could be reviewed or an access programme put in place. These children are still waiting and it is unfair that they have received no response on what is happening. In many other European countries we would not be having this debate because they would now be on that treatment.

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