Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Happy International Women's Day to all. First, I welcome the announcement by some UK researchers that they are going to call 100 Irish women to trials on endometriosis and relief of pain. It was announced this morning that they are carrying out some research. Endometriosis affects 10% of all women and this a very welcome announcement on International Women's Day. It would be a welcome development, were a drug found that would actually relieve the pain from this difficult condition. Speaking to people who suffer from it, it causes an awful lot of pain and distress to them.

I have just come from the Joint Committee on Health, at which the Irish Pharmacy Union was appearing. The union's representatives stated they are looking to run minor injuries triage within pharmacies, because often people go to a pharmacy with chest pain, indigestion or something in their eye, but pharmacists sometimes do not have the right to prescribe actual medication when it might be a minor injury. The union is looking for changes to legislation to enable them to treat minor injuries and conditions without people having to go to the pharmacy, only to be told they need an antibiotic or eye cream or whatever and must go to the doctor to get a prescription. This obviously takes up an appointment in the doctor's surgery and then they have to go back to the pharmacy for the prescription. I wish to support the proposed change to legislation, certainly given the role pharmacies played during Covid-19. They were to the forefront, in that they were open all the time, and they were accessible to people. You could not get in to your doctor or your hospital, as everything was done on the phone, but pharmacies were there to meet and see people.

It is a very good proposal, and something that needs support. Perhaps the Leader would support it and maybe send a note to the Minister for Health in relation to it. There is a pharmacist in nearly every town and village, and certainly there is a pharmacy within 5 km of most people's homes.