Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the burden being placed on pharmacists throughout the country in having to pay a fee of €2,500 to have their premises registered with a group (details supplied) in view of the fact that the same registration in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland can be obtained for less than €200; her views on reducing the fee to bring it in line with Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45465/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I commenced further sections of the Pharmacy Act 2007 on 28th November 2008. Among the sections commenced were those dealing with the setting up of a regulatory regime by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland for the registration of retail pharmacy businesses. Each retail pharmacy business will now have to meet certain minimum criteria regarding the facilities, storage and sale of medicinal products on their premises. Registration will be required on an annual basis and inspections can be carried out by the Society. The Society, has been, and continues to be, a self-financing body. These new functions will place additional costs on the Society and it is charging a fee of €2,500 for the registration of pharmacy businesses.

In arriving at a fee for retail pharmacy businesses, the Society engaged consultants to develop an evidence-based methodology for the determination of registration fees on a viable and sustainable self-financing basis. The process included a comparative analysis of comparable international pharmacy regulators. I am informed by the Society that the arrangements for registration in Northern Ireland and the UK are substantially different to what is being introduced here. In particular, the range of duties of regulatory bodies in the UK, in terms of statutory obligations and their role in public safety, is not as extensive as those required of the Society under the Pharmacy Act 2007. The UK is currently establishing an independent pharmacy regulator and once this regulator is in place, the situation in the UK in terms of regulation and funding of such, may change.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland has undertaken to keep the fees for the registration of retail pharmacy businesses under review throughout 2009 and update me as to their appropriate level when submitting its 2010 fee submission. I would also point out that the main fees for registration of pharmacists and pharmaceutical assistants are not increasing for 2009.