Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Ceist:49 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has for the establishment of a national ethics committee to approve clinical drug trials which involve more than one hospital. [17324/96]
Written Answers. - National Ethics Committee.
Limerick East): The Control of Clinical Trials Acts, 1987 and 1990, set out the statutory requirements relating to the role and responsibilities of ethics committees in relation to clinical trials, and these arrangements are working well. It is appropriate that each hospital's ethics committee should approve any clinical trial taking place in that hospital, irrespective of whether the hospital concerned is or is not the sole location of the trial. I therefore have no proposals at this time to establish a national ethics committee.