Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

This is the first time in ten years that an official has been allowed to prepare a note to be given in reply to a Member of the House. I object to this; it is wrong.

Senator Mark Daly mentioned that the director of the national cancer control programme had allegedly proof-read the script. This was mentioned by the other side of the House. It was also said the EMA did not consider and evaluate the issues of safety and efficacy. It does. The Minister of State has said the objectives of the Bill run contrary to the mission of the Department. Senator John Crown and I reject this. It is alleged in the script that what we propose would lead to unsafe procedures. We propose drugs be made available as approved and licensed on the say so of the Minister.

Any section of a Bill can be judged to be unconstitutional in its own right and the entire Bill falls as a result. When a Bill is being considered, all sections are relevant. The Government talks about section 3, but sections 4 and 5 are also relevant. Section 5 is explicit in pointing out the Minister of the day would have to affirm. If a drug is approved, the Minister of the day would still have to affirm its provision.

Every speaker, including me, probably has health insurance. The Bill would provide for those who do not have it, who do not have the benefit of VHI. The cost of membership this year for my family is €2,500. I can afford to pay it - lucky me.

It was said it was an abdication of the responsibility of the State to allow the EMA to provide drugs. What clown wrote this script? That is what I think of it - I will rip it up. It is an insult in the extreme.