Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Minister took the initiative to publish the Mazars report recently because it was sitting there for an awful long time. I acknowledge and welcome that. The Minister is quite aware of its contents and what it proposed. There are various steps being taken on the positive front on foot of that, including increasing transparency through an online portal that will keep people informed about the progress of the drug in question in terms of reimbursement. The problems still prevail in respect of waiting times for reimbursement, however. I also welcome the fact that the Minister has commenced a review of the rare disease plan. It is much needed. I appreciate that he has said that through that process he will consider the appointment of a specific rare disease officer. That is also something I would welcome. Initially when that Mazars report was commenced and recommended by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, it was to have a specific focus on orphan medicinal products. Can we go back and revisit that?

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