Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ms Childers is very welcome to the Seanad. I agree with her views on Seanad reform and I have been arguing the same case for the past two years. I will refer to Europe's role in the area of medicine, the role it is playing and the role it can play. I was in the European Parliament for two years, a brief time, but at the time the internal market committee dealt with the cross-border health care directive, which was passed in February 2011. I understand it remains to be transposed into Irish law but it is a welcome directive dealing with the free movement of people and the entitlement to access health care if it is not available in a person's country or if there is undue delay in his or her country. It is important that this directive is transposed into Irish law. I will continue to raise the question until such time as it is transposed. I understand this must take place within 30 months of 11 February 2011. This means there are only two or three months to go. I presume we must wait until it is transposed. It is an important directive and it is important that we set up the proper structures for dealing with it. The treatment abroad fund is probably covering this area at present. When I was speaking with those responsible they had not been familiarised with the procedures and it is important that familiarisation is put in place as soon as possible.

Ms Childers referred to the free movement of medicines. I believe this is a major issue given the cost of drugs and medication in the country. I have raised the matter here. I took part in a radio debate last night and focussed on this question. We have gone from spending €574 million per year on drugs and medication to spending €2 billion this year. There is no free movement of drugs and medication in the country or between this country and other countries. Ms Susan Mitchell from the Sunday Business Post has done a great service to the country with a number of articles she has penned in recent months highlighting items which are 25 times more expensive here compared to the United Kingdom. We have made little progress in bringing down the cost of generic drugs. We want people to benefit from the EU membership but this is one area where we have not benefited and we need to take action at national level.

We also need to ensure that people are not suggesting we cannot do certain things because of EU directives. The directives are provided to do the opposite, to help to ensure the cost of medication is reduced and that there is free movement. The EU Council Directive 89/105/EEC is being reviewed. It is important this issue is examined from the point of view of how we make it more cost-effective as well as addressing the domination of the market by several pharmaceutical companies in certain areas. That is another area that must be tackled. I accept they spend a great deal of money on research and development and that must be catered for as well.

It is important to highlight the benefits we get from Europe in the area of research and development. I am pleased to note that in the past two months UCC has got €6 million in research funding in the area of women's health.

It is very appropriate, given the current debate. It is for research into pre-eclampsia, which is caused by high blood pressure during pregnancy. It has received €6 million in funding for research in that area, together with a private company which is involved in research and development. That kind of research funding is helpful in improving health care across Europe.

We have a lot to do in regard to co-ordinating research and development across Europe. I have raised this matter on a number of occasions and have compared it to how research and development is done in the United States. If there were more co-operation between member states, Europe would be a major beneficiary. We need to do a lot more in terms of sharing information and working together, as opposed to working as individual states. The United States is ahead in many areas of research and development.

I agree with Ms Childers on the sale of tobacco products, which is a significant issue. One frightening thing in Ireland is the number of young girls who are smoking. Education is needed and it is something on which we need to work hard over the next few years. The real cost to our health service of those who use tobacco products is huge and needs to be tackled over the next three to four years.

I thank Ms Childers for her contribution. I agree with her on Seanad reform and the role it can play in scrutinising EU legislation and directives.

On medical devices, it is important that in dealing with any new regulation, full consultation take place with the manufacturers of medical devices, which is a major industry in Ireland. The Joint Committee on Health and Children nearly rubber-stamped something issued by the EU. I asked if consultation had taken place and it had not. It is an industry which employs many people in Ireland, something of which we need to be mindful.