I will raise the very serious issue of the availability of medicines. A number of pharmacists who are finding it extremely difficult to source medicines have contacted me in the past couple of days. Two pharmacists informed me this morning that they are out of penicillin. There is a virus circulating at present for which penicillin is the best medicine but they are finding it impossible to get it. Pharmacists clearly said to me that the lack of medicines in the Twenty-six Counties is due to the amounts reimbursed by the HSE. I will cite one example given to me by a pharmacist yesterday, that of phenergan, a psychiatric drug. The reimbursement for that drug in our jurisdiction is €2.08 while in Northern Ireland it is €8.07. Manufacturers are making economic decisions not to supply us with essential medicines. The reimbursement for drugs needs to be looked at as a matter of urgency.

The Department and the HSE are aware of various reports coming in from pharmacists. It is a matter they are looking at and taking seriously. It is kept under constant observation. I have not yet received reports from the Department around concerns at a national level regarding drugs but I am hearing exactly what the Deputy raised. I will raise the issue again with the Department today.