Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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161. To ask the Minister for Health the steps she will take to ensure that all cancer drugs are provided in accordance with medical need to all who need them, and not income or health insurance status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9942/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Thank you, Deputy, for your question. I recognise the importance of providing the best care to cancer patients which can include new and innovative medicines. The State encourages all pharmaceutical companies to apply for pricing and reimbursement of their oncology drugs as soon as marketing authorisation is granted by the European Medicines Agency.

Between 2021 and 2024 €645 million was spent on oncology drugs. New treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy, radiolabelled therapy, and specialised radiotherapy treatments are now available for the first time in Ireland.

The HSE is responsible for decisions on pricing and reimbursement under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 for licensed indications granted market authorisation by the EMA or HPRA. Companies must submit an application to the HSE to add a new medicine to the reimbursement list.

The 2013 Act ensures a rigorous assessment process for new medicines, providing confidence that the right medicines are chosen at sustainable prices. Economic assessments help stretch HSE funds to provide a range of services and innovative medicines, including cancer treatments. The HSE considers clinical effect, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, opportunity cost, and unmet need when assessing applications.

The timing of reimbursement applications varies by country. Ireland may not always be prioritised due to its market size. The HSE cannot assess a drug until an application is received.

On foot of the Mazars Review of the pricing and reimbursement system in Ireland, my Department allocated significant funding for additional resources across the system. The recruitment campaigns have now concluded and 34 additional staff are now hired. This will enhance the pricing and reimbursement process. For transparency a new medicines tracker was developed and launched by the HSE and is now live. This will provide transparency and certainty to patients and industry on the current status of the pricing and reimbursement application of a drug. For 2025, the HSE National Service Plan will continue the tracker’s development with the introduction of indicative timelines for each step of a medicine’s assessment process.

I am confident these significant developments will encourage and incentivise companies to submit more applications for new drugs to be reimbursed including those for the treatment of cancer.

Budgets from 2021 to 2024 provided nearly €130 million for new drugs, enabling the HSE to approve 194 new drugs, including 74 for cancer. Budget 2025 allocated €30 million for new drugs to be generated by efficiencies identified by the HSE.

Health insurance companies may exclude or include certain services and providers in their policies, provided they remain in compliance with the Minimum Benefit Regulations. Beyond Minimum Benefits regulations, I, as Minister for Health, have no role to play in the commercial decisions of any health insurer.