Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for her attendance and I thank Senators MacSharry and Crown for the work that they have put into the Bill. I would love to know who wrote her script and I know her well enough to know that she did not. I also know the Minister well enough to know that he probably did or had an input. I find the congratulatory tone at the start of the script that the Minister of State read out - and I do not believe it to be her words - nothing short of condescending. Two Senators have worked exceptionally hard to put together good legislation but her script is littered with insults. It sounded like she was reading to a group of seven year old children and not to a group of Senators, a professor who is a leading oncologist in the country or to Senator MacSharry, our health spokesperson. I shall explain why.

At least at the start of her presentation she said that she rejected the Bill and that is fine. Later she said: "The objectives of this Bill are contrary to this mission and its enactment would lead to an inequitable, and in some cases unsafe, system of healthcare." She also stated the obvious that: "Many cancer drugs have serious side effects and risks to patient safety grow as the number of multidrug regimens expands and oral chemotherapy becomes commonplace." What is the EMA for? Fianna Fáil proposed, in conjunction with Senator Crown, that the EMA will be the licensing authority and it will not grant a licence for a drug that is unsafe. The Minister of State basically said that the Bill and the Senators' proposals will lead to an inequitable health service. That is absolute rubbish.

Section 5 gives the Minister firm powers. Senator Colm Burke referred to sections 3 and 4 but handily forgot to mention section 5 which states: "The Minister shall affirm or deny the provision of a medicinal product if he or she deems it to be the appropriate decision and while the Minister's decision is final." The Minister does not even have to tell us why.