Micheál Martin

I have discussed this with the Minister for Health. We want all those living with Friedreich's ataxia to have access to Skyclarys as fast as we possibly can. The company made its commercial proposal on 28 May-----

On 28 May last-----

I am interested in getting this drug over the line.

I am not interesting in playing games with this. The Deputy asked me a question. I ask her at least to allow me to answer because there are lots of families and people very dependent-----

-----on our getting this over the line. I have discussed this. I had an official with me yesterday when I met one individual who is living with Friedreich's ataxia and with his parent. The commercial proposal came in on 28 May.

The Deputy is referring to the original proposal in terms of 2024.

There have been engagements between the HSE and the company, Biogen Idec. It will not be tomorrow-----

-----but what we are endeavouring to do is to get this on-----

I will just make the point because things have been said here and there are lots of families-----

But they need to know the information.

Basically, we want to get it as quickly as possible from the July meeting.

That is shocking.

The exclusion of Israel from international competition has to be, by definition, a decision taken by the people who own, control and organise those competitions, namely-----

-----FIFA and UEFA. There is an issue here - of course there is - and the Government has taken a stand on a whole range of issues in respect of Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and much more in terms of the international positions we have taken. There is an issue for the Irish football team in that it could be the main loser in all this, not anybody else - not FIFA and not UEFA. They continue on becau…

-----and that is another side of the coin. I have to weigh that up in respect of-----

-----the Irish football team as well.

I think the Minister is taking a strategic approach to the development of maternity services. There is a lot in what the Deputy says, although it needs to be discussed in more depth. As a former Minister, I have been through the home birth situation. It is not easy. There are a lot a complications, difficulties and challenges. Modern obstetrics has become far more complex and complicated but we ne…

Patients should never be put into the situations they were put into in the last number of weeks.

I will take the Deputy's point on board. She knows what I am saying.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss the issues he has raised with the Minister for justice. He called for an independent inquiry but, again, we would have to discuss that in terms of the type of inquiry. We have had many inquiries. They take an inordinate length of time. I will talk to the Minister and see if we can get answers. That is a more important point for the family co…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will very quickly go through it because I think he is looking for clarification. Basically, the HSE received an application for pricing and reimbursement on 1 August 2024 for Skyclarys, for adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older. On foot of a rapid review of the application by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, the HSE commissioned a full…

I agree with what the Deputy is saying. This has been an issue that has been raised on a number of occasions. I will talk to the Minister for housing to see if additional legislation or regulation is required. Very often, it is the enforcement of existing regulations and laws that is the issue. There is a great reluctance to move in relation to people who are behaving in a significantly antisocial…

The Deputy kind of answered it himself when he said that the scheme has quadrupled. The Government is investing in this scheme and expanding it. We have to have some balance and perspective here too. We do not allocate individually to each scheme. The scheme has increased again this year and funding has increased quite significantly. I do not know whether the scheme has expanded beyond the origina…

That is a very difficult situation if it is just one pupil short. The Deputy knows there are basic frameworks and rules governing the pupil-teacher ratio in terms of enrolment numbers. The previous September governs how many teachers we have in the subsequent September. Some schools gain teachers; other schools lose teachers. There is a clause there, in terms of developing school status if numbers…

To be fair to the Minister, there is an independent appeals process.