Four Fianna Fáil Ministers of State are to lead a delegation of Fianna Fáil TDs to Minister for Health Mary Harney to demand an end to the Health Service Executive's bid to impose new contracts on pharmacists.
The issue dominated last night's meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in Leinster House, during which 10 TDs and three Senators voiced alarm about the HSE's attempt to force through temporary contracts before the conclusion of a final deal.
The offer to form a delegation came after a number of FF TDs initially demanded that Ms Harney be called to appear before the parliamentary party.
"The Taoiseach was there for the whole lot of it, and he was left in no doubt about the feelings of the meeting. People are furious about this," one backbencher said last night.
Ministers of State Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, Maire Hoctor, Jimmy Devins and the Minister of State for Children, Brendan Smith, are to meet with Ms Harney, along with some backbenchers.
The Irish Pharmacists Union has put a major effort into lobbying FF TDs in recent weeks amid claims that significant numbers of rural and small town chemists will close. "Everybody was agreed that the interim contract should be withdrawn and that the March 1st deadline should be withdrawn, and that the independent arbitrator should be allowed to do his work," one backbencher said.
There is mounting concern amongst FF TDs that they will be blamed if chemists start to impose restrictions on medical card prescriptions even though they have sought to oppose the HSE's action.
Meanwhile Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan said the independent arbitration system created by Ms Harney was an "attempt to hoodwink the public".
"The body will have no role in considering any alternative payment models, so the outcome of any deliberations are effectively predetermined."
