Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

First of all, I think about €3 billion is now being spent on medicines. I can clarify that. There is an ongoing issue, and there will be, because of the rapidity of discovery and new drugs coming onto the market. Ireland has a very significant pharmaceutical presence. I have engaged with most of the CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies in respect of tariffs, trade and so on and domestically, the European Public Health Alliance, EPHA, has made representations in respect of this, as have patients, particularly as regards rare diseases and orphan drugs. The Deputy, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan and others have been looking at this for quite a while. The process we have through the pharmaceutical centre, headed by Professor Michael Barry, is diligent and so on. We need to look at it in terms of rare drugs, rare diseases and orphan drugs in particular, and new discoveries as well.

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