John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am aware that a statutory framework needs to be put in place. The Minister should leave it as it stands and commence the negotiations for the new contract and new fees under the existing arrangement, which, I would add, has already taken 33% from payments from pharmacies over the past ten years. We carried more than our fair share of the burden in the difficult times. There is also the additional work we have taken on outside of our contract.

I am trying to express to the Minister, in as calm a way as I can, the anger that is out there among pharmacists. I would not be surprised if they withdrew their co-operation in the high-tech hub, withdrew their co-operation for the National Oversight and Audit Commission and brought about chaos in a system that is already overburdened. That is coming from a group of people who have never been antagonistic. They have never been confrontational, they have always been co-operative and willing.

Dentists are moving into 2020 with the same framework. There will be no change for them. The Minister is reversing the financial emergency measures in the public interests, FEMPI, for GPs, which we welcome. They are not being asked to accept further cuts. As a matter of fact, payments they received previously are beginning to be restored to them. I ask the Minister not to treat pharmacists differently. We do not deserve it. We are honourable and hardworking of people who provide a fantastic service to communities. The one thing the Minister will not hear about in the context of the health service is the pharmacy system being in chaos. We do a good job and we do not deserve this.

I will take the Minister at his word to the effect that when he meets the IPU in the negotiations in the coming weeks, the first thing that will happen is that what was put on the table last week will be taken off it. I also take it that we will sign what we have already and that in 2020 we will renegotiate for a new contract and for the reversal of FEMPI.

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