Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In respect of treatment, the Government has substantially increased funding for new innovative medicines for rare diseases, investing €100 million over the last three budgets. More than 100 new medicines have been approved, including 39 orphan medicines to treat rare diseases. We also committed €2.7 million to support the implementation of the national strategy for accelerating genetics and genomic medicine in Ireland. As I stated earlier, we progressed Irish entry into the Horizon Europe partnerships on rare diseases and personalised medicine. As I said, both those tracks - research and participation in the networks - are key, as is the implementation of the strategy on accelerating genetics and genomic medicine. A new national office of genetics and genomics and the appointment of key staff will all be provided for with a national director for genetics and genomics, a bioinformatics laboratory, a director, two clinical genetic consultants and six genetic counsellors. That has been welcomed by the rare disease community in Ireland and will be of benefit to many people living with a rare disease but I take the point that the networks need to be resourced as well.

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