Written answer
Medical Aids and Appliances
Deputies sought free or expanded access to ICS-formoterol MART inhalers, initially for 12–17-year-olds. The Minister highlighted existing GMS and DPS supports and said any eligibility changes would depend on healthcare priorities and available funding.
541. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if her Department will consider funding increased access to ICS-formoterol combination inhalers prescribed as maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) in Budget 2027, given the potential for improved asthma control to reduce exacerbations, emergency healthcare utilisation and associated healthcare-related carbon emissions. [66486/26]
Comment on this
580. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to allow for free MART combination inhalers, starting with young people aged 12–17 years-of-age and progressing towards wider community access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66694/26]
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 580 together.
Affordable access to medicines is a priority for the Government. Supported by €158 million of funding in Budgets 2021-2025, the State delivered access to 250 new medicines. Budget 2026 allocated €217 million additional investment in medicines, including €30 million in funding for new medicines. This has, as of August 2026, delivered access to 40 new medicines.
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.
There are a range of health supports available for patients with asthma under the GMS Scheme (Medical Cards) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) which reduce the cost of asthma medicines, including Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) combination inhalers.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE has added a number of MART inhalers, combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-2 agonists to the reimbursement list for eligible patients in Ireland, including:
Symbicort Turbohaler (formoterol/budesonide)
Airbufo Forspiro (formoterol/budesonide)
Duoresp Spiromax (formoterol/budesonide)
Bufomix Easyhaler (formoterol/budesonide)
Trixeo Aerosphere (formoterol/budesonide/glycopyrronium bromide)
Relvar Ellipta (fluticasone/vilanterol)
Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone/vilanterol/umeclidinium)
Medicines on the reimbursement list for medical card holders are available free from a pharmacist on payment of the statutory prescription charge, while under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.
In addition, individuals may also be able to claim tax relief on their medicines expenditure at the standard rate of 20%.
Consideration of any future changes to the eligibility for medicines will be made in the context of current healthcare priorities and the budget available.
The State continues to invest in making asthma medicines affordable for patients with over €100m in expenditure per annum within the community, new and innovative treatments continuously being added to the reimbursement list, and a suite of measures in the new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines to strengthen affordability and availability across the coming years.