Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Health appreciates the desire of families to see their children who suffer from this debilitating condition access all potential treatments as soon as possible. However, section 6 of the Health Service Executive (Governance) Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

As the Senator will be aware, the Oireachtas put in place a robust legal framework in the 2013 Health Act which gives full statutory powers to the HSE to assess and make decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. An allocation of €30 million in budget 2022 has enabled the HSE to approve 24 new medicines to date this year. That is very good news. The Senator will appreciate that given the ongoing assessment process with respect to Kaftrio, the HSE is not in a position to comment further on this application. I will convey to the Minister his view that speed is of the utmost importance to these children and his request, on behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, for a meeting with the Minister.