Mary Henry (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for his time and consideration. I hope my fears about this do not come to pass. The doctor-only medical card could be useful because it might decrease our reliance on pharmaceuticals. This is a double-edged sword because we rely so heavily on the pharmaceutical industry for employment that we pay some of the highest prices in Europe for pharmaceutical products. This is something the Minister should examine. The cost of medicines in Ireland compared with Italy, France and so on — I have not recently bought them in the United Kingdom — should be examined because the Government negotiates the price of pharmaceuticals with the companies. I have never found Ireland to be cheaper than other countries. For example, 11% of the health service budget is expended on such products. This must be examined considering €2 billion must be found somewhere.