Pluvicto, a drug used for prostate cancer patients, was approved by the European Medicines Agency back in 2022. The HSE received an application for reimbursement in 2023 but both the national cancer control programme, NCCP, and the drugs group in the HSE recommended that the drug not be reimbursed because of limited resources available to the HSE. A private patient with private health insurance or attending a private hospital can actually avail of this drug if it is recommended by his consultant. Unfortunately, because we have chosen not to reimburse it, a public patient cannot. I am asking for the Taoiseach, either directly or through the Minister for Health, to provide an update on that drug if he can. Is it fair that we still have a process whereby private patients can, in effect, get preferential treatment over public patients? Will the review of the reimbursement system be implemented, as committed to in the programme for Government?

I know that discussions and negotiations are ongoing between the Minister for Health and the pharmaceutical industry in respect of approval of new medicines, in particular new medical technologies. The pharmacovigilance unit in St. James's Hospital does a cost-benefit analysis using various equations and formulas to determine whether a drug should be approved or not. There has to be some framework governing that. On the other hand, if it is available in the private market, it means that process has agreed it. That is not optimal at all, but I will re-engage with Minister in respect of this specific drug.