David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

The Labour Party, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin disagreed with the charge at the time. We all accept the cost of medicine to the State and to individuals is too high and we all acknowledge there is waste and over-prescription of medicine. We also agree measures must be undertaken to address the problems but the last way to do so is to punish those who are least able to pay. In opposition, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, was very clear that he was opposed to the charges and would seek to abolish them. We are still awaiting the abolition of those charges. Age Action said that over-prescribing and inappropriate prescribing is a problem in Ireland but that the Minister must address this point with the doctors who write the prescriptions rather than hitting the patients. Since the patients do not write the prescription, penalising them will do little to change prescribing practices. It is important to deal with real issues in respect of waste.

A number of issues were raised with me by a local pharmacist with regard to other European countries that have addressed the problem by introducing a public service obligation under the European Directive 2001/83/EC. It requires wholesalers to guarantee permanently the provision and timely delivery of medicinal products to meet the needs of patients. In response to medicine shortages in Canada, the House of Commons standing committee on health issued a new report entitled Drug Supply in Canada: A Multi-Stakeholder Responsibility. It outlines the measures the Canadian Government intends to take to address the shortages. This issue needs examination and discussion on Committee Stage and in the Dáil. The prolonged shortage of essential medicines has caused much dissatisfaction among patients as pharmacists endeavour to explain the ongoing difficulty in sourcing medication. Eltroxin is an example of a drug that is not readily available, a point raised by a local pharmacist. I welcome the Bill and the measures contained in it. We want to see the savings made as quickly as possible and Sinn Féin will offer whatever support it can to get the Bill through as quickly as possible.