David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to make a broad point but I am sticking to the section. I accept what the Minister of State says in respect of the balance that must be struck in terms of new drugs that come on the market, the cost of these drugs and the overall health budget. I welcome the statement that where possible and practical these drugs will be made available to the people who need them. If we are to make these costly drugs available we must achieve savings somewhere.

We have one issue of concern in respect of this Bill in its totality. We welcome the deal struck with the Irish pharmaceutical industry in respect of branded drugs but we believe there is still scope for savings in respect of generic drugs, which are often rather expensive. In some cases they cost 96% of the price of a branded drug. A deal has been struck in respect of branded drugs, which is welcome, but we are somewhat surprised that the Minister has said it will save between €30 million and €40 million because last year the projections were between €60 million and €70 million. I am unsure why there has been a reduction, but none the less a considerable saving will be made. The question arises as to why this has not been extended to generic drugs, because they too are costly. A survey by The Sunday Business Post showed that HSE patients here were paying up to 12 times what patients under the UK National Health Service were paying for the same drugs. Clearly issues arise that relate not only to branded drugs but to generic drugs as well. We must do more in respect of savings on drugs. While the Bill is a welcome step forward, I hope this is not the end of the process. It should be only the beginning of a process of seeking to achieve savings in this area.