Results 1-20 of 4,605 for speaker:Sorca Clarke
- Tillage Sector: Statements (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: The Minister said earlier that the tillage sector was an integral part of Irish farming. I happen to agree with him; it truly is. It is the backbone of farming in many of our communities. It contributes almost €1.9 billion annually to the economy and supports up to 11,000 jobs. That is something we need to take seriously. Despite that, our local tillage sector is under severe...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: I thank the witnesses for coming in this morning. They are very welcome. This is an issue that comes up for me on a regular basis, even though we are talking about rare diseases. I think most other committee members would have the same experience. The question I want to put is on that relationship that exists between the health technology assessment, the legislation around price and...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: But it was not available for Toby at home.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Toby is very fortunate.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: The medication was supplied.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: It was supplied at the end of July.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: It was made available to him and he is doing very well.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Why? It should not happen.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: This indicates to me that there is a fundamental flaw. The systems in place simply are not working. You should be able to go to your doctor and for the doctor to say you need a certain medication, and it is kept out of the political sphere or spectrum where the decisions are made by those who have the greatest access to information and knowledge of the condition and the medication. This...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Does Professor Barry agree with it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Does it not undermine the trust of the medical professionals?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: If this is the way things work in Ireland and politicians need to resort to emails to get a patient a medication, are we not undermining trust in the professional doctors in that scenario?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: I have no hesitation in saying I do not agree with Professor Barry.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: This should be a medical decision. Trust should be put in the doctors who are treating the patients, as opposed to overruling them. Our job is legislation. That is what we do. We are legislators.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Access to a politician or political entity should not result in one person receiving medication above somebody else who may not have that access.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: Okay. I will very quickly ask another question. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to a review of the drug reimbursement process. Has anybody had any contact on this issue? Has it started? Is there any update?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: There are question marks over the Mazars report because the scope did not address those structural flaws.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
Sorca Clarke: He has a path ahead of him - there is no doubt about that - but he is doing very well. How frequently do decisions like this happen, where a family or patient is told they cannot get access to medication, only for it then to turn out after a little bit of political pressure - kicking, screaming, roaring and shouting - that a decision is made in their favour?