Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Connell for introducing this Bill. I was sorry that I could not attend the beginning of the debate but I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be here this afternoon. I will start with the issue raised by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, namely, the cost of drugs. She very kindly and accurately noted that Ireland has joined the BeNeLuxA initiative, which is a potential game changer for our country in terms of access to medicines because we have joined with Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria to work together, not just potentially on the procurement of drugs but also on sharing information and horizon scanning. Yesterday and the day before, officials from all of those countries met at a gathering hosted by the Department of Health to look at how we can put in place a horizon scanning initiative to identify what new medicines are coming on to the market over the next 12 months and plan how we will ensure citizens can access them. That is really encouraging.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan makes a fair point because none of us, including Deputy O'Connell, wishes for there to be any unintended consequences. Of course, people can access various therapies. That is not in dispute here. The aim is to ensure no false linkages are made between accessing those therapies and a claim that something is a treatment for cancer. We have all seen, as Deputy O'Sullivan stated, the potential for false claims or, on some occasions, manipulation of somebody in a very vulnerable position. That is the balance we are trying to strike. This is never about blaming the patient or citizen. Rather, it is about safeguarding our citizens and making sure they have accurate information regarding medical and scientific advice on how we cure and treat cancer. There is only really one source of factual information about how we can treat and cure cancer, namely, our medical and scientific communities.

I know this Bill is of great interest not only in this House but also to cancer patients, advocacy groups, families of cancer patients and the medical professionals who care for cancer patients.

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These are people who are committed to providing professional, high quality and appropriate treatments to patients in their care.

I thank all Deputies for contributing to the debate on this issue today and I particularly commend my colleague, Deputy Kate O'Connell, on her leadership yet again on another really important public health matter. I know she put much work into developing this Bill and engaged with a number of advocacy groups and patient organisations to get the Bill to this point. I assure her of my support as we work together to ensure we can advance the objectives that this Bill outlines. Under the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026, the primary aim for all cancer services is to provide evidence-based care that is effective, safe, of high quality, patient-centred and fully supported by national standards and clinical guidelines. That is the goal of the national policy. There will be no tolerance for anything other than this professional standard of care and the intention of the Bill as presented has a similar objective, which I highly commend.

Whereas the aim of the Bill is in line with the national cancer strategy regarding the standard of patient care expected, there are some aspects of the Deputy's Bill, as outlined by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, requiring further examination. I am pleased that Deputy O'Connell and I will work together with officials in the Department of Health to develop an approach to progressing its aims. I hope the health committee will do some pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill as well. The aim of this Bill is to stop vulnerable people being targeted by falsehoods and untruths. Unfortunately, we have seen the effect of similar tactics of using misinformation when it comes to vaccination. The effect of anti-vaccination myths are apparent, and it is sad that those myths are sometimes advocated by people in this House as well. I have called for a cross-party motion supporting our childhood immunisation programme and our human papillomavirus vaccine, and I hope all Deputies in the House will sign up to it and stop putting forward the spin of "anti-vaxxers". That has a very damaging effect on the health and well-being of our children and our population at large, not just in Ireland but globally. There is a responsibility on us all and particularly those of us who hold public office to prevent the spread of this dangerous nonsense.

I welcome the fact that some social media giants have responded to the call for action made by me, Deputy O'Connell and others. They have a responsibility to ensure they do not become a platform for misinformation and I welcome the fact that some of them have made progress in that regard. I call on the rest of those companies to join in being much more responsible in that regard. The onus does not stop with social media giants and there is a responsibility on those in the media to call out politicians or leaders who spread misinformation and nonsense about vaccination. There is no doubt the Government has a responsibility to work with clinical leaders to protect public health but all of us in this House, and in the wider sphere as citizens, have responsibilities to the greater public good. Deputy O'Connell has been a leader in this area and she continues to fight for patients and against those who target them with falsehoods and misinformation. I am very proud to stand with her and I look forward to working with her to ensure the intent of the Bill is delivered to the public and, most important, to those cancer patients and their families who are battling with cancer in all its forms. They must face enough struggle in the fight against cancer without being targeted with falsehoods and misinformation. That is why I am proud to support the objectives of this Bill and I look forward to working constructively with the Deputy to ensure its objectives are brought into law.

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