Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

While the life of a young girl in County Cork is being crushed out of her by a spinal deformity, the Health Service Executive indicates it is appropriate that she wait until 2010 before it will consider providing the treatment she needs. Fortunately, someone else has a greater sense of morality than the HSE. Case law indicates that the HSE would lose a case brought before the European Court of Justice and would be required to pay for the girl's treatment. I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Health and Children come to the House to explain the reason the HSE finds it acceptable to allow a young child to die slowly as a result of the weight of her body while it refuses to give her treatment. The Minister should also state whether it is appropriate that the State should not pay for the necessary treatment. This is one of the most immoral decisions I have heard in a long time.

Senators on the Government side should note that a Cabinet sub-committee consisting of the Taoiseach, Minister for Finance and Minister for Health and Children decided to reduce the costs of medication in the health system. The HSE is trying to implement this decision in the pharmacy sector. For this reason, rather than referring to the role of the HSE, it would be more appropriate for those Senators to raise the matter with the Ministers in question.