Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to indicate to the Leader at the outset that we agree with the taking of the earlier signature motion to facilitate the banking inquiry. My colleague, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, took that Bill last week and while we still believe an independent, Leveson-type inquiry would have been a better way forward, we want to ensure that the inquiry can get on with the work it needs to do.

There have been many discussions in recent weeks on the potential sale of Aer Lingus. I am pleased to hear the soundings from Government that it appears at this stage that it will reject the AIG offer. I believe it should be clearly rejected. My colleague, Senator Barrett, informed me of the goings on at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications this morning. People from all parties and none are concerned about the future of our airline, and I welcome the fact that some Government Senators and other Members have been more trenchant in their views than others. They have stood up and said they do not want the strategic interests of the country diminished in any way by the sale of Aer Lingus. However, it is important that the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, provides certainty as soon as possible and confirms that we will not be selling our stake to British Airways.

The irony is that this is happening when many of the thousands of deferred members and pensioners who had their pensions cut in Aer Lingus and in the airport superannuation scheme will have received their first pay cheque showing that the retired members have lost six weeks' pay while others have got confirmation now that they are losing 50% or 60% of their salary. Is the Leader aware that the deferred members and the retired members have been issued with a waiver to sign? It states that if they accept the terms of the reduction and the restructuring of their pension, they are waiving all future rights to take any legal action against the company or the trustees of the scheme. That is a further kick in the teeth in that they must decide whether they will accept that and if they do accept it, they are waiving all future rights. That is wrong. What is the Government's view on that?

On more than 20 separate occasions since last year I raised the issue with two Ministers for Health of the multiple sclerosis drug Fampridine or Fampyra. I spoke to another gentleman last week who now is no longer working and who cannot get out of bed because his mobility is so bad, but the drugs programmes and policy unit, DPU, and the Department of Health have rejected the revised submission from the drug company, Biogen. We are talking about a cost of €270 per month, and there are approximately 1,500 MS sufferers. I do not know what else to do with this because we debated it for half an hour with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, who basically said it was nothing to do with him. It is to do with him because the Government is responsible for the health of the citizens of this State.

It is about a year since I first flagged this issue. There are hundreds of sufferers who cannot get the drug that is helping them improve their lives. Will the Leader raise this issue through his good offices and perhaps through the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party? I ask my Labour Party colleagues to raise it in their parliamentary party meeting. What is happening is wrong. Next week I will be inviting Members here to a briefing by some of the senior neurological consultants to speak on this specific drug and why it should be made available again to MS sufferers in this country.