Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Moynihan so much for raising this and for his advocacy on behalf of Conor and Dean and so many children and patients more widely across our country who want us to get this right in terms of access to medication. I could point out that we have made good progress. From 2021 to 2024, we allocated an additional €128 million for new medicines. That facilitated the introduction of 194 new medicines in Ireland and I am pleased to say, in particular, 49 of these are for rare diseases. However, I do take the point about the system. We need to get a system that is more agile and responsive in advancing the programme for Government commitments. The Deputy's suggestion around a compassionate access scheme is very sensible. I will just make the point - and I say this not to be adversarial to the industry - that obviously, the State has a job to do. So too does the industry in how it approaches these matters to get it right. I would also point out that we could do more on joint procurement at an EU level and, indeed, working with our colleagues across the island. We will have a chance through the new framework agreement that will be required between the Department of Health, the HSE and the drugs industry to maybe tease through these issues later this year. I will relay the Deputy's views and inputs to the Minister for Health as a result of this.

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