Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the eventual negative consequences arising from the continued conflict between herself and the Health Service Executive directed at the pharmacists; the expected reduction or cessation of services arising from the arbitrary action taken by the HSE; if her attention has further been drawn to the expected reduction in competition and delivery of services to the public in the event of the closure of a substantial number of pharmacies with particular reference to young pharmacists who were to become the driving force in the provision of such services in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17446/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I welcome the recent decision of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) to recommend that its members not proceed with their threatened withdrawal from the GMS and community drugs schemes. This decision followed intensive consultations between the IPU and officials of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Department of Health and Children.

The Government's priority has been to ensure that patients continue to receive their full entitlements under the GMS and other drugs schemes and I am pleased that this has been achieved. Both the Government and the HSE have confirmed that they recognise the IPU as the representative body for community pharmacists. An agenda has been agreed for detailed discussions between the parties commencing this week on contractual and other outstanding issues.

I established an Independent Body to assess an interim, fair community pharmacy dispensing fee. This Body is being chaired by Seán Dorgan, former Head of IDA Ireland. It has been asked to make its recommendations by the end of May 2008. The Government is pleased that there will be no disruption of pharmacy services pending the completion of the work of the Independent Body. With continued goodwill on all sides, I am confident that significant progress will be made over the next few weeks.