Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)

The Mazars report stated that the HSE has not been implementing the legal timelines for the reimbursement of medicines. I can refer to at least four studies commissioned in the past year that show legal timelines are not being adhered to. In February last year, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association published a paper showing that 86% of all reimbursements did not adhere to the 180-day timeline as outlined in the legislation. The Taoiseach knows I am a long-term advocate for reform in this regard. I am asking that the HSE, its affiliates on the drugs group, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, and others just implement the current legislation. Patients with unmet needs are waiting years for decisions in Ireland while the majority of our European counterparts wait months. Does the Taoiseach think, as per those reports, that the HSE and the NCPE are adhering to those guidelines? It is important that he clarifies that today.

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