Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Colm Burke that if somebody can have medication that will keep him or her out of hospital and be less of a cost to the State, that needs to looked at as well.

As I stated in the reply, there are currently nine products under consideration, with a five year cost of €120 million, of which eight were referred since May. The Minister, Deputy Harris, expects that the process will be completed shortly for these items.

I will stress to the Minister when I see him later that the five, as the Senator stated, particularly the ones ready to go, have gone through all the tests and should be brought into the system as soon as possible and help those people who are waiting. I will raise that issue specifically with him, but I will also raise the Senator's point that people getting medication would help them stay out of hospital and in the long run be less of a cost on the State.