Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can guarantee that the decision on which drugs are reimbursed will not be a political or ministerial one. That decision will continue to be based on clinical and economic guidelines. The first question is whether the drug is effective. The second is what its side effect profile is and the third is whether the price is fair. I can understand that clinicians and interest groups will always take the view that we should reimburse every medicine that is licensed and pay whatever the drug company asks, but we cannot do that from a public policy point of view. It would not be right to do so. I know of one medicine in my time that was refused by the HSE and the national drugs committee only for the manufacturer to come back a few weeks later offering the same product at a 60% discount. I will tell the Senator which one it was afterwards if he likes.