Junior health minister Alex White (right) will attend the Health sub-committee today to deal with possible changes to new laws on generic drugs.

Image: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House?

TheJournal.ie lets you know with our guide to what’s coming up to the Dáil, Seanad and various Oireachtas committees today.

As it happens, however, today’s agenda is a light one – with most of our ministers still abroad on St Patrick’s Day trade missions.

As a result there are only two committee meetings being held today; the main business in the Dáil and Seanad resumes tomorrow.

• At 2:15pm the committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht discusses some of the problems experienced by households in flood-prone areas in getting household insurance. Representatives from the Irish Insurance Federation will be on hand to discuss why insurers feel they cannot cover properties in some areas. (Watch here.)
• At 3:30pm the Health sub-committee will get its teeth into legislation which could, potentially, save millions for the taxpayer – debating amendments to a Bill which would introduce new ‘reference pricing’ for drugs, and define a list of drugs which a pharmacist can administer in place of another if it’s cheaper to do so. The idea is that a branded drug prescribed by a doctor can be replaced with a cheaper one that has the same chemical make-up and effect. (Watch here.)

Read: Head of HSE drug-buying programme: ‘It’s difficult to defend current prices’

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