Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. What is the extent to which references come from the pharmaceutical sector on the ready availability as soon as these drugs are made available? For instance, what might be the time lag between approval in the European Union and in this country?

I accept that we are a smaller country but we are a member of the European Union. As a member of the Single Market, we have the same rights to new medicines and new drugs and any other service available to the European Union as there is anywhere else, including London as used to be the case once upon a time, Paris or Rome. I heard reference made on a radio programme recently to the theory that as we are a small member state, we should come further down the list. I do not accept this. We must accept that the European regime prevails. If we accept anything less than this we will run ourselves into trouble.

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