Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The sale of drugs by mail order is prohibited in Ireland. The issue arises with regard to procuring products over the Internet from sites outside the country. The Irish Medicines Board has reported to agencies and authorities in other countries and some sites have been closed down. The board has considerable powers, in so far as modern communications networks allow power in any single jurisdiction, and can communicate with enforcement agencies in other places with a view to having them take action on sites which sell in Ireland.

Controlling the Internet is a global challenge. People in certain places in the world do not care who locates there. The challenge arises not only in respect of medicine and drug sales but also in several other areas. I commend, for example, the wonderful work that has been done by enforcement agencies on child protection issues. It is encouraging that authorities in Europe and the United States have worked together to bring successful prosecutions, but we have a long way to go to ensure the Internet is used in a positive manner.