Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate my plea. I do not disagree with anything the Minister of State said but we must have an early-access pathway. We must pool bids with other countries and look at what they are doing. We must also look at ourselves as a State, country and Government. There is a moral and ethical issue here. Will we be able to stand over a situation where people with money can get treatment while people who do not have money cannot get treatment? I do not think the Government or State wants to stand over some poor family saying they could not afford health insurance and their loved one died whereas Johnny down the road could afford it and he is living, thriving and surviving and benefiting the State by being a healthy cancer survivor. That is a larger issue that the Government must take on. I accept that private health insurers have their own market but we have an obligation to the people of this island.