Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My grandmother always told me not to tempt fate so I prefer not to assume that I will be elected Taoiseach again on Saturday week, but I thank the Deputy for his kind words. I agree that this is an issue that we need to turn around, next year hopefully. I have served as Minister for Health, I am a Deputy and I am Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and I find it very hard to explain to parents and to patients why there are treatments that are available in Britain or in other European countries that are not reimbursed here. I find it hard as a Deputy as well as a doctor. As the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I find it hard to explain to companies why medicines that they produce here and develop here are not available to patients here. We have seen some big improvements in the past couple of years. Money has been set aside that has been dedicated to new medicines. I think 30 or 50 molecules were approved in the last year, but it is clearly still a problem, and it is a matter in which I will take a personal interest.

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