John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I respect that but Ms Gorman has travelled here today from County Laois to be with us. She has gone public on this as a result of suffering in silence for the past two years in what has turned out to be a vain hope that the HSE would address her medication and her treatment, as recommended by her consultant team and haematology team from St. James's Hospital whose reputation is second-to-none in the world, as is the work it is carrying out there. It does not lightly prescribe and recommend this treatment, which first became available to ten patients in this country, as Senator Byrne said, as far back as 2010. It is proving to be technically excellent and it is a life-saving intervention. There is no other way to put it. It is beyond me how we can continue to stand over making fish of one and flesh of another. There is no equity to it.

Notwithstanding that, the moral bankruptcy of the exorbitant fees the pharmaceutical company which manufactures Soliris charges, the State has to intervene and make the best possible treatment available to Ms Mary Gorman and the handful of people who have this rare condition. We appeal to the Minister. One word from him to the HSE could resolve this and we appeal for that.