Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government outlines that the Government wishes to establish a national medicines agency to set a fair price for drug reimbursement. I can tell the Minister that that process is not working. I am aware of applications for drug reimbursement which would save the State millions but which are not being approved because headline discounts of up to 50% are required. No cost-benefit analysis is being conducted with regard to the possible future impact on patients. I ask the Government to give consideration to that issue.

The programme for Government commits to the provision of a catheterisation laboratory in Waterford. Yesterday, I asked the Taoiseach why there is a four-month procurement process to approve an approval.

The funding has been ring-fenced for almost 18 months and yet we are talking about entering a four-month procurement process on a project that should have started.

Can I also confirm that yesterday, in the House, the Taoiseach advised that there was diagnostic angiogram activity going on through a service-level agreement, SLA, in Waterford with the Whitfield Hospital? That is not the case. We have been delaying 30 diagnostic angiograms a week at University Hospital Waterford since February. I ask that the Government review this.

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