Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That would be important. Deputy Alan Kelly is raising an important issue. The law of the land is clear on the process. It is clinicians who examine drugs but I take the point the Deputy made on other countries funding the drug.

I ask that, as a group of public representatives, we make a call on this in light of the point the director general makes. When a drugs company allows patients to gain access to drugs on an early basis for clinical trials, that should not in any way be used by the drugs company as linked to a process on the question of reimbursement. There is no reason in the wide earthly world why those patients should have their medication terminated. In the past, I have seen drug companies leave patients on drugs. I refer to those on the early access programme. This committee may wish to make a decision on this but I would certainly appeal to the drugs company today.