Results 2,721-2,740 of 4,002 for speaker:Rose Conway Walsh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: There are actually 400 children across the EU on Translarna. Eighteen of the 22 countries with approval are within the EU. Can the witness confirm that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: The witness does not know how many children in the EU are using this drug.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I completely understand that, but we do not operate in a vacuum in terms of EMA, and that has to be taken on board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: Do we approve orphan drugs on a conditional basis? Have we done that for any other drugs? I ask these questions in the context of the situation Lewis Harte-Walsh from Castlebar finds himself in. He was six last Thursday and he desperately needs Translarna so that he can continue to walk. We are talking about two boys in the whole of the State who need this drug now. We need to bear that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: Perhaps we can examine how the decision was made, because I know it was rejected on the grounds of cost and of data. On the cost that has been quoted, as opposed to the real cost, I want to know how much negotiation was done with the drug company to come to an agreement on a reasonable price. I understand the figure quoted by Professor Barry is based on a ten year old boy because Translarna...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I understand the sensitivities of it. The questions that I am asking are historical. I put it to the witness that there were no negotiations on the initial price that was given. There were no further negotiations with PTC around the initial price that Professor Barry quoted earlier.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: What form did they take?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: How many meetings?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: The HSE had one meeting, one price was quoted and that was it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: They confirmed that was their final offer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: That is very important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: Surely part of the remit is to negotiate on that price and get that price as low as the HSE possibly can. I accept the expectation that the drug company would come in at a price that was fair and reasonable. However, if in the HSE's opinion it is not fair and reasonable, surely it would be then fair and reasonable to go back and inform the company that the price is unacceptable and ask it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I appreciate that. I do not have enough time to tease out all the data. Would the HSE be prepared to sit down with the drug company? It is unprecedented for a drug company to take legal action. God only knows how much it will end up costing in legal fees. I am sure it will be far in excess of what Translarna for two little boys would cost. Would the HSE be willing to sit down with PTC...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: If any company wanted to make further contact with the HSE even in this situation-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: What clinical evidence did the HSE take into consideration when assessing Translarna?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I really hope the HSE will sit down and reach agreement with the only drug company that provides this drug so that these two boys can be treated. That is all we are talking about.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I know my colleagues on the right will welcome the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, coming into the House to tease out some of the issues around JobPath and to evaluate whether the €350 million being spent on it and the €17 million that was spent on it last year is justified. I look forward to that debate and I hope it happens sooner rather than later. A word that I know this...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2017)

Rose Conway Walsh: I commend my colleagues, Deputies Denise Mitchell and John Brady, on producing a report on JobPath. Several months ago, I and Senator Ó Clochartaigh, along with a number of other Senators, raised in the House what can only be described as the swindle taking place in the JobPath scheme. I want the Minister to come to the House to answer some straightforward questions on the scheme. For...