I wish to ask about the commitment in the budget last October to provide free hormone replacement therapy, HRT, for women. We are told that pharmacies and the State are in deadlock over the provision of HRT. Pharmacies have indicated that they were not consulted about this. Women still have to pay for HRT despite the commitment given by the Government last October. Brigid is a widow who has no medical card. She had to skip HRT. She is 61 years of age and cannot afford it. Sinead in Laois said that she is just about able to afford HRT and GP appointments but that her heart goes out to those women who cannot do so. Many women have contacted me who cannot afford HRT. A Kildare woman informed me that one of the reasons she voted for the Government parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was because of the commitment to provide HRT. She said, "I now feel foolish for believing them." Will the Government try to get the problem solved for those women who need HRT?

The commitment in the budget last year was to provide for HRT medication to be free. That has been available to be implemented since January. The Deputy is correct to say that there had not been enough dialogue with pharmacists in the context of the implementation of the scheme. I met the Irish Pharmacy Union twice - in early February and again last week - in order to try to resolve the issues relating to the scheme and make sure that the medication is free. Women are paying in or around €45 to €50 for HRT at the moment. We need to reduce that. There was no provision in the budget last year to pay the dispensing fee, as would often be the case with other schemes. Women on the drugs payment scheme will obviously be covered if they are paying more than €80. Those on medical cards are also covered. We want the cost of the medication to be eliminated and just the dispensing fee to be left. The matter is still under negotiation with pharmacists more broadly to make sure it is workable for them.

The impending tariff war with the US is the biggest existential economic threat to this country in generations. Yet shockingly, it has been practically eclipsed by Dáil dysfunction over the past couple of weeks. Billions of euro worth of Irish trade and corporation tax are under threat. Both the future intake of tax and public spending are in the balance. I am struggling see any evidence of direct impact by this Government in terms of the EU's decision-making process or its negotiation with the US Administration. The EU will make decisions on the basis of the German, French and Italian economies. This is clearly visible in the decision on a retaliatory tariff on bourbon and is evidence that the EU was not thinking of the Irish whiskey industry. What direct steps is the Government taking to influence the EU's retaliatory tariff strategy? What engagement has the Government had with senior members of the US Administration in the context of protecting Irish industry?

I met with the President von der Leyen last week in Paris on the margins of the meeting on Ukraine. At the EU summit the previous week, I also met her to discuss the matter. On Sunday, I had a phone call with President von der Leyen to discuss it further. As stated, we have not had the EU's substantive response yet because the tariffs are only due to be announced tomorrow.

On bourbon, those were already measures that had been enacted but suspended on a previous occasion when US tariffs were also suspended. The US tariffs were restored and, as a result, the EU simply implemented what had been paused. There will, however, be a fresh assessment by the EU after the announcement tomorrow. Europe will then decide how to respond. We are already in discussions. The Tánaiste has been in discussion with Commissioner Šefčovič. Our officials are working with the officials in the Commission in respect of its response.

The Taoiseach is over time.

The Tánaiste has been in touch with Secretary of State Lutnick. That communication will continue.