Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris raised the issue of the farm fatalities Bill and the case of a gentleman called Les Martin, who I have not met. The Senator is quite right in raising the issue of rare diseases. A lot of the time, we hear about rare diseases when it gets to the stage of a negotiation between the State and pharmaceutical companies at high cost. Surely these diagnoses constitute a preventive health way of approaching the matter, which we lack in this country, and cost saving because, ultimately, one front loads the cost. I agree entirely with the Senator and think we should have a debate along those lines in this House. As the Senator notes, 50 children die unnecessarily due to a lack of medicines. If Italy can manage to increase it quite significantly in a short period of time-----