Health Strategies
Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-30
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I have noted the Senator's comments. I also want to acknowledge the work that the Asthma Society of Ireland does. It is very supportive of families, especially families dealing with young children that are trying to grapple with the situation when they find out their child may be asthmatic.
As the House knows, affordable access to medicines remains a priority for the Government. Ireland is among the highest spenders on health across the EU and has the third highest rate of state coverage of pharmaceutical expenditure in Europe. Supported by €158 million of funding in budgets 2021 to 2025, the State delivered access to 250 new medicines. Budget 2026 allocated an additional €217 million for investment in medicines, including €30 million in funding for new medicines. This has, as of September, delivered access to 40 new medicines in the current year, which is most welcome. The year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement, the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.
I assure the House that the Minister for Health appreciates the importance of ensuring that patients with asthma have access to the latest treatments. Senator Noonan specifically mentioned young people aged 12 to 17. The Minister has received a pre-budget submission from the Asthma Society of Ireland, which is under consideration in the context of preparations for budget 2027. The Minister and the wider Government remain committed to improving care for patients living with asthma, including severe asthma. I will certainly bring back the points that Senator Noonan raised because they are very important to a huge amount of people who live with asthma.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-30