New proposals to widen access to medicines before Cabinet

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly also wants to amend the law to support vaccination programmes by allowing the administration of vaccines by a wider range of suitable qualified professionals. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

People will be able to get some products which are currently prescription-only without a script under a broad range of measures being proposed by the Health Minister.

Stephen Donnelly is to seek approval to draft legislation that will also address shortages in medicine, which has affected commonly used medicines including antibiotics, and drugs used to treat diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will put in place regulations for the management of shortages of medicinal products by allowing the Minister for Health to put in place Medicines Substitution Protocols.

The wide-ranging bill will also include regulations to allow pharmacists supply some prescription-only medicinal products without a script, including the oral contraception pill.

Mr Donnelly also wants to amend the law to support vaccination programmes by allowing the administration of vaccines by a wider range of suitable qualified professionals.

Finally, the bill will allow people to earn up to €14,000 under the ‘Rent-a-Room’ scheme without this impacting medical card assessments.

Separately, Mr Donnelly along with Minister of State for Older People Mary Butler, will seek Cabinet approval for an independent commission to examine health and social care services and supports for older persons.

The commission will be asked to make recommendations to Government on the strategic development of health and social care services and supports for older persons.

The group will be asked to examine residential care settings and models of supported living and will also look into the broad spectrum of services provided for older persons by the HSE, NGOs and other entities such as home care and day service providers.

It is expected that the commission will be established by the end of the year with work commencing in January.

Planning legislation

Meanwhile, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien is due to bring forward a massive refresh of Ireland’s planning legislation to Cabinet tomorrow.

The new Planning and Development Bill will introduce new mandatory timelines for planning applications to be decided on by An Bord Pleanála.

The Irish Examiner first reported that these timelines will range between 18 to 48 weeks, with the Government hoping that they will provide certainty to the planning process, for both the public and those involved in planning matters.

If the planning authority does not adhere to these timelines, there will be escalating consequences including fines and ministerial intervention by way of review.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien described the bill as the “most significant overhaul” of planning law since the 1990s.

The legislation will also reform An Bord Pleanála, change how judicial reviews are taken, and extend county development plans from every six years to every 10.

It is understood that Education Minister Norma Foley will bring forward a memo on smart phone usage in schools.

Ministers will also be meeting with Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe for bilateral meetings throughout the week as the final details of Budget 2024 are hammered out.

The three coalition leaders will also be briefed on the Budget on Wednesday.